


Fallen Padawans, Rising Jedi

by GirlGoneGamer667



Category: Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Awkward Romance, Childhood Friends, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, False Memories, Feelings Realization, Five Years Later, Force Ghost(s), Force Training, Friendship/Love, Gray Jedi, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi, Jedi Holocron, Lightsaber Battles, Memories, Night Terrors, Nightsisters (Star Wars), Order 66, Padawan Cal Kestis, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secret Crush, The Dark Side of the Force (Star Wars), The Light Side of the Force (Star Wars), The Truth is Out There
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 53,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26877625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlGoneGamer667/pseuds/GirlGoneGamer667
Summary: Cal Kestis and Kairi Jabami have been childhood friends since Coruscant days, but the two have been more distance after they were separated. Visiting each other once again when their masters were having a meeting, Cal and Kairi finds themselves on the run and hidden from the galaxy when Order 66 happened. But years later, it has caught up to them when they accidentally revealed themselves using the Force after so long. Now, on the run once again, the two are faced with new challenges and also a mission to rebuild the Jedi Order where they can be free from hiding. But will it happen in the end? What are the challenges the two must face? Will there be more troubles on the way?
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 19





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I do not own Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order! I only own my original characters! And this one follows the whole gameplay of the journey!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padawans Cal Kestis and Kairi Jabami lost their Masters during the Purge. What is the next step for them?

It has only been minutes after the clone troopers betrayed the Jedi which this new order was called Order 66.

Every Jedi and even their Masters were on the run and fighting their way to escape the clone troopers, but gravely a few survived.

And this is one story which starts with two Padawans.

After landing on Bracca, 14 year old Cal Kestis managed to climb out of the escape pod while feeling the cold rain dripping down on his Jedi clothes. He was still trying to recover after when the clone troopers were shooting at him and his late Master Jaro Tapal. Gripping onto his master's lightsaber, Cal turned around to see that his master's body was there instead of the escape pod. Cal knew deep down that knowing that if he was brave enough back on the ship instead of being afraid, he and his master would be alive up to this point.

But now, Cal must face the new world alone.

After calming down, the 14 year old Padawan remembered that he wasn't alone during the escape. He remembered that Master Rin Sotah was on the ship when he came to visit Jaro Tapal about important Jedi business, concerning his own Padawan, Kairi Jabami.

Looking around the muddy area which Cal believed that he landed in a scrapyard, he hooked his master's lightsaber onto his belt before he started climbing up a hill, hoping to find a way out or see another escape pod.

When he finally made it to the top after slipping down on it a few times, Cal stood up and he noticed an escape pod. His emerald green eyes widened before he started climbing down until he slipped and fell onto the muddy hill, causing him to yell out in pain. Once his body made it down, Cal can hear a loud thumping noise which came from the other escape pod before the sound of glass shattering was heard.

He saw a hand poking out and heard a cry when the person's arm got glass in it's arm when it was trying to reach out to unlock the door. Cal quickly stood up and immediately ran towards it before pulling the emergency handle to open it.

"Kairi?" Cal called out, before he looked inside to see her, trying to pull out Master Rin Sotah who was wounded at the moment.

"Cal, help me!" Kairi cried out as her head was turning to face the 14 year old.

"No… I got it… Just get out." Master Rin Sotah managed to say as he sounded weak.

Kairi nodded, before she cried out in pain once more while she noticed that there was a glass shard in her arm, but Cal gently took her hand into his own and pulled her out while one hand was touching the ground.

"It hurts…" Kairi responded quietly, before Cal watched Master Rin Sotah crawling out of the escape pod until he stopped moving halfway out of it.

His face fell into the mud before Kairi and Cal made it to his side and turned him over.

"Don't worry, we'll get you outta here. And everything will be okay." Kairi responded as she sounded frantic, knowing that she was worried for her wounded Jedi Master.

"No… You two... You have to go." Rin Sotah managed to say as it was almost audible, due to the heavy rainfall of Bracca.

"But Master-" Kairi tried to reason with him, but he stopped her from talking by his hand on the 11 year old's cheek.

Rin Sotah smiled gently, before Kairi had her hands hovering over his chest. Cal was confused at what Kairi was trying to do, but Rin pushed Kairi's hands away.

"It's too late… Save yourself, Kairi… You deserve to live more." Rin Sotah explained after pushing Kairi's small hands down while holding onto them to make sure that the younger Padawan doesn't do anything to draw attention. He turned his face to Cal, before he noticed Jaro Tapal's lightsaber on his belt clip. "I'm guessing he didn't make it." He stated.

Cal nodded before he looked away from Rin Sotah.

"Cal Kestis, look up at me… Everyone makes sacrifices in their lives… You and Kairi… are both young Padawans… you two deserve to live more." Rin Sotah explained as he was trying his best to hold on, before Cal slowly looked at him. "Promise me something as a Jedi Master's dying wish…" He responded.

"Yes, sure. Anything, Master Sotah." Cal stated as Kairi was trying her best to break out of Rin's grip.

"Keep an eye on her… She can be a handful… but she needs someone… who she can trust… I know you two have talked a lot since Corestaunt… but I'll make an exception." Rin Sotah responded, before Cal nodded.

"I will." Cal agreed which Kairi was in shock.

"What? No, not him, Master. I need you!" Kairi pleaded.

"Kairi… be strong… you two look after each other… and… May the Force be with you." Rin Sotah responded once more, before Kairi felt her Master's hand shaking during his last bit of strength, until he slowly let go of her smaller hands. "You have… your mother's eyes." He managed to say, but Kairi was the only person who heard that part, before seeing his pale blue eyes closed.

At that moment, Cal and Kairi both lost their Masters.

The rain was making their small pitter patter sound which echoed along with the thunder as Kairi yelled out in despair. Her forehead symbol glowed purple which gave out a large amount of the Force, causing the trash and broken pieces to fall along with the shaky ground.

Cal's green eyes widened in shock as he managed to stay still, before he saw debris sliding down while it was heading down towards the two.

"Kairi! Calm down! We need to run!" Cal called out as Kairi was still crying with her eyes closed, ignoring everything around her until he quickly grabbed her left hand and ran off.

"Master Sotah, no!" Kairi cried as she looked back at Rin's lifeless body before she started picking up her feet when they could hear more blasters shooting.

"Where did that happen?"

"The ground started shaking out of nowhere?"

"Remember if we see any Jedi, eliminate them."

Kairi was breathing heavily as she was holding onto Cal's hand while running through the scrapyard. She was still scared even after what happened in front of her, but she had to stay calm even through dangerous times like this.

"Cal… we need to stop. I can't breathe." Kairi responded as she managed to say, before she started coughing.

"Don't stop, Kairi." Cal pleaded as he looked back at her with his emerald green eyes, until the 11 year old Padawan maged to pick up her feet again.

Breathing in and out through her nose and mouth, Kairi started looking around to make sure that she didn't see a clone trooper heading their way by surprise.

The two Padawans stopped suddenly as they could see clone troopers with their blasters in the distance, ready to gun down any Jedi who dared try to stop them.

Quickly thinking, Cal led Kairi into a small place underneath all the debris to hide when one of the clone troopers somehow saw them. He climbed inside after helping her, before he heard them heading towards their way.

"I saw something over there."

"Could it be those traitors?"

"If it's them, our orders are to shoot them on sight."

Cal held Kairi in his arms as the 11 year old Padawan was still trying to catch her breath, before covering her mouth.

Looking at Cal with widened eyes, he shook his head for her not to be so loud or they were going to be caught.

"They should be around here. Search for them."

Kairi watched as the clone troopers were searching the area for them, until she noticed that the commander clone trooper in front of their hiding hole, before the 11year old Youngling hugged Cal tightly while staying calm.

 _"Protect us."_ Kairi thought to herself, as her purple forehead symbol glowed before Cal noticed a green aura glowing around them... until the commander clone trooper started searching the hiding hole.

As he was looking, Cal and Kairi held their breath as the clone trooper was looking dead at them, but to their surprise, he walked away from it.

"Maybe they ran off this way."

"Let's go!"

The clone troopers ran off as Cal and Kairi stayed quiet until Kairi's forehead symbol stopped glowing which caused them to be visible.

"That was you?" Cal asked quietly, while looking at the younger Padawan.

Kairi nodded slowly.

"Did you use the Force?" Cal asked once more, before Kairi crawled off of Cal's lap.

"No… Ever since I was a Youngling growing up with my father. He told me that… I was a bridge. That was his way of telling me that I was special. I never quite understood him." Kairi explained as she had her knees up to her chest, showing her brown boots.

"Whatever you just did. You save us from being killed." Cal responded, before Kairi looked at him, and gently smiled at him.

After leaving the hiding spot, Cal and Kairi managed to climb out of the scrapyard's hole and noticed a train arriving which could lead them somewhere away from the scrapyard.

Stopping Kairi from running towards it, Cal managed to find some oversized hoodies and a beanie hat for the 11 year old Padawan.

Quickly putting their oversized clothes on over their Jedi robes, the two ran inside of the train as they almost nearly didn't make it, before they sat down together in the back of the train.

"Cal… I'm scared. Will they come after us?" Kairi whispered.

"I hope not. Kai… for now, we cannot use the Force anymore. It's not safe. Cal responded quietly.

"What about… that?" Kairi asked once more as she pointed to where Cal kept Jaro's damaged lightsaber hidden on the side of his clothes.

"We can't use them either. We have to make rules, Kairi if we are going to survive here on Bracca." Cal responded quietly.

"What are they?" Kairi asked.

"Accept the past." Cal stated.

"But Cal-" Kairi whispered back, knowing that she can't accept it.

"Kairi. We can't do anything. We're too young to understand the truth." Cal explained.

"Okay… What else?" Kairi whispered.

"Never go alone. Never talk about our past. We'll just say that we're… brother and sister just running away."

Kairi nodded.

"Don't stand out. Which means… never use the Force or our lightsabers." Cal stated.

"I don't have mines. One of them broke it and I used it to knock them out." Kairi explained as she was looking at her small hands, feeling the effects of how her lightsaber was shot out of her hands and split into two.

"And most of all. We can only trust each other. No one else." Cal responded.

"What if they tried to help us?" Kairi asked.

"We can't trust no one. It could be someone who might turn us in." Cal explained, before Kairi can feel her eyelids getting heavy.

Kairi nodded before she started yawning.

"Okay. I remember that…" Kairi whispered before she leaned back into her seat and gently closed her eyes.

Cal gently placed the 11 year old Padawan's head on his lap, before hiding her black Padawan braid inside of the grey beanie. He watched her fall asleep before he closed his emerald green eyes as he fell asleep as well, knowing that the train ride was putting both of them to rest..

Without their Masters or how they were ill prepared to go fight their way on living on Bracca, the two Padawans were going to be on an emotional rollercoaster of being hidden.


	2. The Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's been 5 years since the Purge and Cal and Kairi are still together while sharing an apartment together with jobs to support them. Kairi is hear a woman's voice and having nightmares for a while now, but she doesn't know what it all means.

Five years.

Five long years have passed since the Purge began.

Cal and Kairi were the lucky ones to escape and hide in time when Order 66 happened. 

The two stayed together no matter what cost. 

The first few days were horrible for them. Cal and Kairi were having a hard time trying to survive by finding a place to stay and even have warm food since they were still young with no money. 

But somehow, luck came back into their lives when a friendly Abednedo named Prauf looked after Cal and Kairi, knowing he couldn't let the two starve to death.

As they grew, Cal managed to get a job working at the scrapyard and Kairi attended school at her age before she was able to get a job. Following the rules of being in a galaxy where Jedi are now known as traitors, Cal and Kairi are keeping their old lives as Jedi in the past… until this very day.

It was morning time on Bracca as rain was still pouring down as always on the planet which it was usual to have on a planet which is now being controlled by the Empire.

"Kairi, where did you put my poncho?" Cal asked.

But he didn't get an answer from her.

"Kairi, did you hear me?" Cal asked, knowing he can hear a long whistling noise going off coming from the kitchen.

He walked into the living room/kitchen area as he noticed that Kairi had folded up his work poncho along with his face mask and headphones on the couch.

Once he had his headphones around his neck and his face mask inside of his belt bag, Cal turned his face towards the kitchen to see the long black haired teen in the middle of it.

16 year old Kairi Jabami was standing in the kitchen in her own trance when she didn't realized that her morning tea was ready. As Kairi was zoning out, Cal walked into the kitchen while putting on his brown glove after realizing that she wasn't her usual self.

"Kairi?" Cal called out as Kairi didn't respond by using her voice, until she lightly started using her pointer finger to tap against her leggings, hoping she could feel herself.

Cal moved closer as Kairi started moving her silver eyes from the teapot to Cal's lunch that she was just in the middle of making.

Hearing her own heartbeat and feeling Cal shaking her shoulder, Kairi finally snapped out of her trance with a frightening gasp and turned around to face the taller person.

"Were you listening to me?" Cal asked.

"Uh…" Kairi muttered as she was trying to lie to Cal. Knowing that she was in and out of her trance, Kairi didn't hear what he told her at first, so she had to answer back. "Yeah, sure." She lied, without looking at Cal before heading to the counter and went back to finishing Cal's lunch.

"You've been spacing out recently. Is everything alright? Ever since the bar incident, you've been more distant. And even around Prauf." Cal asked, before removing the kettle from the stove and placing it down on the counter.

"Sorry. I just… didn't get much sleep last night." Kairi stated, before resting her elbows on the counter while using her left hand to rub her tired eyes.

Cal gently rested his hands on Kairi's shoulders before leading her out of the kitchen and made her sit down on the couch.

"You sit down and let me take care of making my lunch, okay? And you have to get ready for work as well." Cal responded before he went back into the kitchen as Kairi rested her back into the couch while watching the 19 year old behind the counter.

"Actually, I'm coming in during the afternoon after your lunch break. Ever since that incident, my boss wanted me to have some time off to calm down. I barely broke an expensive bottle which could have come out of my paycheck." Kairi explained, as Cal was pouring the morning tea into a cup before coming back with it.

"Just be careful, okay? We nearly exposed ourselves to the Empire when it happened." Cal responded, before Kairi took the cup out of his hand.

Kairi nodded before she started sipping her cup.

"Cal?" Kairi called his name, as he was looking up at her silver eyes. "Sometimes, I wonder… what would happen if the Empire found us? I know we could get killed but… I can't do anything to fight back. My connection to the Force is probably cut off." She explained.

"Kairi, we can't worry about it. We have to accept the present today. We can't go back and fix everything. Even though we're in hiding, it would take a miracle for someone to say that they want all Jedi to come out of hiding. For now, we are okay. We have to stay like this." Cal explained, as he sat down next to her while Kairi was looking at the warm liquid of her tea, staring at her own reflection.

"But Cal… is there more to life than being on Bracca?" Kairi explained, as Cal remembered seeing the 16 year old reading a book about the galaxy's planets. He always knew Kairi loved to explore and have fun when they were just Younglings back on Coruscant, but she was more of an adventurous/troublemaking type than having the quiet personality today.

"Kairi, you know how hard it is for us. If we leave, the Empire will find us. And I can't allow that to happen." Cal responded as he rejected Kairi's question, before he stood up and looked back at her who still had her eyes on her own reflection.

"Okay." Kairi whispered as it was audible for Cal to hear.

Kairi gently placed down her tea on the table, before she started to lay down on the couch, resting her hands underneath her head. Cal watched as she closed her eyes, before hearing her sobbing in her sleep until he moved closer with his knees on the floor where he was in front of Kairi's face.

 _"I never wanted to make you cry, Kairi. But things are different now. We both have jobs to support ourselves. A roof over our heads and even each other. I'm still keeping my promise to Master Sotah no matter what."_ Cal thought to himself, before moving some of Kairi's long black hair back behind her and covering her up with a blanket that was over the couch.

Kairi kept one eye open as he watched Cal finish making his lunch before he left the apartment without saying another word, but he started looking back at her when he walked out the door. 

Sitting back up, Kairi wiped away her tears before pouring out her lukewarm tea down the sink and decided to go take a shower.

Underneath the showerhead with her hands aganist the wall, Kairi was staring at the hot water going down the drain where her petite feet were before she started washing her hair with shampoo. 

_"I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger. Traveling through this world of woe…"_ Kairi started to sing, before she heard a whispering voice calling her name, which made her jump in fright. 

Quickly covering her small chest with her arms, Kairi turned around to make sure that there weren't any peep holes or anything that the neighboring rooms of the apartment were seeing her in the shower.

It left a shiver down her spine as she turned back around and continued to shampoo her long black hair without saying another word.

 _"Like what's going on? First, me having nightmares and now I'm hearing voices?"_ Kairi thought to herself while washing the suds out of her hair, before taking a quick shower.

Getting out of the shower, Kairi used her towel to dry herself off before wrapping herself with it.

 _"Another day on his garbage filled planet with scrap metal and ship parts."_ Kairi thought to herself while putting her long black hair into a loose bun. Looking down at the bathroom counter, Kairi looked down at the makeup set that her coworkers got for her since her birthday was last month. On her right, she can see a half empty bottle of viamitum stims that Cal bought for her. _"Even though I'm underweight and short doesn't mean Cal didn't have to buy me these. But it's awfully nice of him since he's watching over me."_ She responded, before jabbing one stim into her shoulder and letting it drop into the sink.

After feeling the effects of her vitamin stim, Kairi managed to calm down before she decided to do her hair. Wiping away the shower steam off the mirror, Kairi looked up and saw a woman who was taller than her with long silver hair, but her face was blurry too, as the 16 year old screamed out in fright.

"What was that?!" Kairi yelled, after she fell onto the floor.

She gently stood up before looking back at the mirror to see that the long silver haired woman disappeared.

"Okay… I must be going crazy." Kairi whispered to herself, before having her hands on the counter. 

When she left the bathroom after putting on her bartender clothes, Kairi decided to go into her bedroom and lay down on the bed.

She had the time to herself before she had to go take in an afternoon and late shift at the bar which was nearby the scrapyard that Cal and Prauf worked at. 

Getting her journal from her nightstand, Kairi decided to read through it, since she has been keeping a record of what had happened to her and Cal's life on Bracca.

_"It's only been a week since the bar incident. A drunk worker asked me to come over to his house because I was attractive to him. But I didn't want to, because he gave me the creeps. When Cal and Prauf stepped in to save me, I felt okay at first, before he tried to get me to leave with him, putting his hands around me, claiming that I was his. Until Cal punched him. I didn't know he would go that far to stop him. But then Stormtroopers came in, that's when it got scary to me. I told them calmly that everything was alright before they checked my ID. I thought I was going to be discovered right there and now. And they left as soon as they took the drunk scrapyard worker out of the bar. I still didn't feel alright after that. I even ignore Cal and Prauf touching me to help me calm down… Maybe I am a coward."_

"Here's today…" Kairi whispered, before writing down today's journal entry.

_"That woman showed up again. But this time as a ghost. Has the apartment been haunted? I asked Prauf yesterday about it, and he said that nothing shouldn't be happen there. I mean, he did recommend this place for us. Anyway, I managed to see what she looked like. Long silver hair. A grey sleeveless top with a blue belt, black leggings and even brown boots. Could she be a Jedi? I don't really know her. But why is she haunting me?"_

Kairi closed her journal, before she decided to take a nap.

With her hands resting on her stomach and her silver eyes looking up at the ceiling, Kairi gently closed her eyes and felt the world around her went into silence...

* * *

_Kairi felt someone's hand touching her face, before feeling a thumb touching her bottom lip, until she swatted it away and opened her eyes to see Cal who was sitting down at the foot of the bed._

_"Cal? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Kairi asked, but Cal didn't respond._

_He stood up from Kairi's bed and left the bedroom._

_"Cal? Where are you going?" Kairi asked once more, before following him._

_Closing the door to her bedroom, Kairi turned around to see Cal, but it was his Padawan self when he was 14 years old._

_"Cal? How… How did you?" Kairi started to ask, before she got down on one knee so she could look at him._

_"Trust me, Kairi." Young Cal responded_

_Kairi was about to say something, before seeing a Younger Kairi running through herself and grabbed Young Cal's hand, seeing smiles on both of their faces along with laughter._

_She immediately followed their younger selves as she watched them jump onto the couch and ran around the living room, before they headed outside of the apartment._

_Once Kairi made it outside, she realized that she wasn't in the hallways of the apartment building, but in the hallways of a ship._

_"But… how?" Kairi asked herself, before she decided to go down the hallway of the ship. She can tell that this was surreal to her as she heard clone troopers having a conversation, but as she walked closer to the sealed doors, the hallway began to expand._

_She stood there in shock, before hearing a baby crying from out of nowhere until she started jogging towards the sound which was coming from behind the sealed doors._

_An alarm was raised as Kairi began to look around to see the flashing red lights and the sound of it._

_"We have to protect the little one and his wife at all costs."_

_"That's what the orders are?"_

_"His Padawan made its way onto the ship. And now he is showing a different side of him. That's what General Sotah explained."_

_"The little one and his wife? I thought Jedi are not supposed to have attachments." Kairi responded after she heard the voices of the clone troopers, until she finally made it to the sealed off door._

_Once she gently touched it, Kairi can feel shivers running down her spine as she felt something around her that made her different._

_"Its… it's the Force." Kairi whispered before looking down at her hands._

_Suddenly, the sealed off doors opened as Kairi jumped back in shock before backing away from it when she saw the same woman from her nightmares and from the mirror._

_She had her hand reaching out for Kairi to show that she doesn't mean any harm to her, before the 16 year old gently placed her own hand onto hers. To her surprise, Kairi can feel the ghost's hand as she helps her stand._

_But she can feel her own body not moving, like she was using the Force by touching the 16 year old to make her stay still._

_"Padawan of General Rin Sotah… Listen to me. The past is never what it seems. Your eyes have been blinded for so long… The truth is in the Force." The woman responded as she had an accent, before she lightly touched Kairi's forehead where her purple forehead symbol appeared, causing her to roll her eyes back…_

Kairi woke up as she fell down onto the bed along with a few of the furniture in her room had been turned sideways or upside down when she was once floating. 

Breathing in and out slowly, Kairi looked around as she sat up in the bed.

"What happened?" Kairi asked herself, before she felt her right hand gripping onto something long and metal like.

Slowly looking down, Kairi can see a lightsaber on her right hand as it had bandages wrapped around the cushion grip and the color was like a titanium color.

"A lightsaber…" Kairi whispered, before she turned it on to see that it illuminated a green glow. "It's hers. She was a force wielder." She whispered once more while staring at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She has a lightsaber now?! What will Kairi do? Who was that woman? And why did she chosen Kairi? Is it a calling to come back to the Force? Will Kairi tell Cal about it? More chapters on the way!


	3. The Force Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kairi is gifted with a lightsaber, she meets the woman who happens to be a Force Ghost who came from it. She explains how Kairi can find out what happened in her past if she leaves Bracca to start her own adventure as a Jedi. But Kairi is unaware of her fate which will happen when the Force came back to her after so long.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Kairi asked herself after she stood up from her bed, leaving her bedroom and headed straight to the bathroom. "I can't keep it. This is not my lightsaber and Cal will flip his lid when he sees this! He probably said and gave me another lecture on our rules saying  _ 'Kairi Jabami, why would you have that? You've promised me that you wouldn't do anything crazy with the Force-' _ ". But her fast pace rambling talk was put to a halt when she looked up at the mirror to see that her black shoulder length was now to her waist and her purple forehead symbol had returned after 5 years of cutting herself from the Force.

Kairi's silver eyes widened in shock after she placed the lightsaber down on the counter, before touching her long black hair to see if it was just only hair extensions. 

But it felt real when Kairi tried to pull it out as she gave out a yelping cry in pain.

"My hair is not supposed to be this crazy long. And my Force symbol… it came back!" Kairi responded to herself, as she backed away from the counter with her hands covering her mouth, until her back rested against the wall. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked herself once more, before she slid down onto the floor.

_ "Find the truth behind it. Find your answers and your destiny."  _

Kairi looked up and stared at the lightsaber which is where she heard the woman's voice once again.

"Great… a talking lightsaber. Now, I'm really losing it." Kairi responded to herself, before she saw it glow in front of her until a Force Ghost appeared, causing the 16 year old teen to move away in shock.

But this Force Ghost that stood before her happened to be the same woman from the nightmares and visions.

_ "Please don't be scared. I'm only here to help you."  _

"Oh no, no, no. Not this time!" Kairi responded as she quickly stood up and grabbed the lightsaber to throw it out of the window of the bathroom.

But the Force Ghost pulled it back as it rested in Kairi's right hand.

"Hey!" Kairi retorted as she looked back at the Force Ghost.

_ "Listen to me, Padawan of Rin Sotah. I'm only here to help. Not to cause trouble." _ The woman explained.

"And I don't need your help. Everything was alright with me and Cal being marooned here on Bracca, until I started having nightmares of someone's past!" Kairi explained back, after closing the bathroom window.

_ "Kairi… those nightmares and visions you've seen are a part of you. They are not mine." _ The woman responded, as Kairi was looking at her.

"They're mine? Are you sure because I can reassure you that I remember everything." Kairi replied as she put the lightsaber down on the counter.

_ "No. I can't tell you more. But everything before the Purge. And even before Coruscant are not your memories. They were changed." _ The woman explained, as Kairi watched her sit down on the bathroom counter and lifted up the 16 year old teen's blue hairbrush.  _ "You must love your hair. I can really tell. That color of your hair reminds me of a certain someone I love." _ She responded as she was off topic before Kairi rolled her silver eyes.

"Back to the topic please? What can I do to regain them?" Kairi asked, before she went to the mirror to see if she can fix her long hair up into a new hairstyle.

_ "Here, let me." _ The woman responded before she got off of the counter and started putting Kairi's hair into a French braid with the rest of her hair down.  _ "The truth is within the Force. I can only tell you this. But first, you have to get off this planet soon. Your adventure as a Jedi hasn't begun. You have to convince Cal that you have to leave. With or without him." _ She stated, as Kairi watched the Force Ghost put a blue ribbon in the back of it to hold it in place.

"That will be a no." Kairi disagreed after sighing to herself.

"Why is that? Are you hesitating, young Padawan?" The woman asked before getting the hairbrush to brush Kairi's hair.

"He will tell me no. I can't leave his side either. All thanks to Master Sotah, Cal can't break his promise." Kairi responded as she looked down at the sink.

_ "I can tell that he cares about you. But I can really tell… that you have feelings for him. Deep down, you care for him." _ The woman responded as Kairi left the bathroom and went into her bedroom.

"That's none of your business!" Kairi responded defensively as she showed an angry pout to the woman, before putting on her boots.

The woman giggled as she had one hand covering her mouth to hide her smile, knowing Kairi can't even see her face.

_ "Alright then, if you say so. Beside, Kairi Jabami, I believe that you two can do anything together as long as you two focus on the Force."  _ The woman responded, before Kairi put on her poncho and grabbed her belt bag to put around her waist.  _ "One more thing. We will talk again soon. Don't tell anyone about me. Just not yet. And… keep this with you." _ She explained, before she uses Force pull to bring her lightsaber to Kairi.

Kairi only stared at it for a few seconds before she managed to hook it on her belt bag.

"Alright. Before you go back to the lightsaber. I need to know your name. You are obviously dead and I can't call you Force Ghost or whatever." Kairi stated, before she walked into the hallway to grab her key to the apartment with the woman following behind her.

_ "Just call me by my name I was given when I was born. Iris." _ The Force Ghost named Iris answered, before Kairi turned around to face her.

"Like the flower? One strange name. But I'll accept it." Kairi responded, before Iris nodded until the 16 year old watched her disappear into the lightsaber. "Well… time to go." She whispered, before turning the door knob and leaving the apartment after locking it.

* * *

Catching the midmorning train to the work yards of Bracca, Kairi wanted to sit down, but she remembered that she had Iris' lightsaber on her, so she decided to stand up while keeping her head down, not to cause any attention. 

Kairi was thinking about Iris had told her earlier that her memories of the past were false to the 16 year old teen, but she knew that she had to get off of Bracca somehow and reconnect with the Force. 

But she feared that the Galactic Empire would find her and end her life if she was discovered.

Brushing that off at the moment, Kairi felt the train stopped moving as she got off when she arrived at the bar where she has been working for 2 years now. Her afternoon shift was just like any other day when working at the bar. She greeted a few customers, taking orders and serving them their orders, until Kairi saw two familiar faces enter into the bar, causing her to flash a smile.

"Hey, you two." Kairi greeted, before Kairi gave a side hug to Prauf who accepted it and the 16 year old ruffled Cal's ginger hair.

"Hey, watch it, Kairi." Cal responded as he laughed before fixing it until he and Prauf looked at the younger woman and saw her long black hair. 

"So, how's work?" Kairi asked.

"Did you do something different to your hair, Kairi? I hardly recognize you, kid." Prauf asked, as Kairi kept her gentle smile on her face.

"Oh this? It's just… hair extensions. My coworker told me to add something or do something with it, instead of just having my hair up in a bun." Kairi responded as she lied, but Cal was just staring at it, before seeing a circular flat bandage on her forehead until he realized why it was there.

"What do you think, Cal? Does she look like a young woman, instead of the little girl back then?" Prauf asked, which Cal heard before looking back at him.

"No, she's still looks the same to me." Cal answered.

Kairi was in the middle of writing down a note by using a napkin as she heard that, knowing that irritated her as she felt like hitting Cal in the back of his head.

_ 'I swear I'll put something in your dinner tonight, copperhead!'  _ Kairi thought as she was seething while keeping her smile on her face.

"But I don't mind the new look. Kairi is still Kairi Jabami on the inside and out." Cal responded as Kairi calmed down before she finally finished the napkin note.

"Kairi, I've been telling him that he won't find someone he loves if he doesn't listen to me." Prauf stated as Kairi looked at him.

"Really?" Kairi asked as she smirked at Cal.

"Don't get any ideas, Kai. Right now, everything is okay just the way it is." Cal responded, as Kairi lightly touched his right hand to open it, before the 19 year old felt a napkin inside of his hand, indicating that it was a note.

"Whatever you say. That's usual Cal Kestis for you, Prauf. I'll be back with your usual." Kairi responded before she left.

Once Kairi walked away, Cal decided to look at the note as he hid it underneath the table.

_ "We need to talk when you get home. It's important, Kestis." _

"Is that a love note I see?" Prauf asked jokingly, as Cal's emerald green eyes widened in shock, before putting away the napkin note in his pocket.

"No, it wasn't. It was a note from her telling me that she had something to say to me when I get back home." Cal answered defensively, before having his arms on the table.

"It's probably her telling her feelings about you." Prauf suggested. 

"What makes you say that?" Cal asked as he looked at him.

"Listen, kid. I have watched over you two for the longest. But the more and more I see you two talk, it feels like you two are more than friends." Prauf explained. 

"We're just only friends, Prauf. Back then, we didn't talk much in our past because Kairi was bullied for being short and shy. And to tell you the truth, Kairi is a mystery to me as we grew up. She's been acting strange recently." Cal responded, as he watched Kairi talked to a few of the workers from the scrapyard before seeing her laugh. "But it's a mystery worth finding." He stated.

After Kairi gave Cal and Prauf their drinks, Kairi stayed behind the bar the whole time as the two left to return back to the scrapyard.

* * *

A coworker informed Kairi that they were running out of berries to make their berry cocktails, which Kairi taken the offer to help out instead watching the time go by during her evening shift. As she went into the freezer part of the bar which was in the back of the building, Kairi started shivering as she felt the cold air through her black top and long white apron skirt which reminded her of the Bracca rain. Finding the Jogan berries, Kairi was having a hard time pulling them out from the fridge and she was quickly getting numb fingers. Using her breath to warm up her hands, Kairi suddenly heard Iris' voice in her mind 

_ "Use the Force." _ Iris suggested.

"Are you crazy? No, I can't do that!" Kairi whispered while rubbing her hands together.

_ "Just this one time. I wish to find out how strong you are." _ Iris responded in Kairi's mind.

Kairi looked around to make sure that no other coworker was around to see it happen before she stepped back a few feet. 

_ "Okay… Just this once."  _ Kairi thought to herself.

Closing her eyes, Kairi concentrated on the silence before she raised her right hand to have it in front of the box of frozen jogan berries. Kairi breathed through her mouth as she felt her forehead symbol glow through her bandage, knowing that the Force was giving her the strength she needed. 

Kairi felt the Force around her before the box quickly pulled itself towards her, until it hit her chest, causing the 16 year old teen to fall back against a rack of more frozen food.

_ "Above you!" _ Iris warned through Kairi's mind, before she quickly used the Force to slow down a falling box that was going to crush the young teen.

Quickly moving herself out of the way, Kairi heard the box slammed against the floor as she was breathing in and out through her mouth, after Iris had saved her from being injured on the job.

"Iris… thank you." Kairi whispered before she stood back up and went around the broken box, leaving the freezer.

* * *

When it was the end of Kairi's shift, she decided to clean up a few tables that the customers had left a mess with a few empty glasses and plates. 

_ "Okay. Just tell Cal that I have a lightsaber that is connected to me. And I have to leave Bracca. Simple as that."  _ Kairi thought to herself, before she saw three Stormtroopers walking into the bar with their blasters ready to fire.

"Can… Can we help you?" One of Kairi's coworkers asked as she sounded frighten in her voice.

"We want everyone out." One of the Stormtroopers announced.

Kairi gently placed down her washcloth on the table as she was holding onto her right wrist, before Kairi felt someone's hand touching her shoulder until she looked at Kie who happened to be the owner of the bar.

"Are you okay, Kai? You look nervous." Kie asked as she and Kairi left.

"What is going on?" Kairi asked.

"They're probably just going to search the place. No problem." Kie responded, before Kairi saw a few Purge Troopers holding a blaster which the 16 year old teen felt her own heart stopped until she heard a TiE fighter flying over and it landed a safe distance.

As Kairi got in line with the rest of her coworkers, she was having a hard breathing as she could feel that they were here for more than a search. The Bracca rainfall was still dripping down onto everyone she was looking down at the ground with her poncho hood covering her head, until she heard sets of footsteps approaching the line.

Slowly looking up, Kairi saw another Purge Trooper, but this one was different from them. He had a dual sided lightsaber and even a mechanical right arm as Kairi can tell that this one was the leader of the group that he came with.

"My, my… such beautiful young women working at a bar. Ages 16 to 28. I'm surprised that this place hasn't been shut down." The leader of the Purge Troopers responded in a haunting tone which sent shivers down everyone's spines. "Now, calm down. I'm only here for one person. No... I'm seeking two fugitives. One works here at this rundown bar you ladies run. And the other one works as a Bracca scrap rat. Don't be alarmed but I won't harm you all. Unless one of you turn yourself in." He explained, before the Purge Troopers aimed their blasters at the bar women lineup, causing shock and confusion to the workers.

_ "Oh no… I'm dead and so as Cal!" _ Kairi thought to herself, as she was copying the same thing so she wouldn't stand out from them.

"You really think having your hair long and covering your forehead symbol was going to make you stay hidden from me?" The leader asked, before Kairi felt the hood of her poncho being pulled down.

Kairi's eyes widened in shock as she felt her throat being grip, causing her not to breathe while the leader of the Purge Troopers was using Force Choke and pulled Kairi close to him once he managed to lift her off the ground.

As Kairi was unable to move, her eyes were staring up at the dark rainy sky before the leader made her look at him by grabbing her chin with his red and black glove.

"You have really grown the last time I've seen you. But don't worry. I won't hurt you… yet." He responded, as Kairi felt her forehead symbol glow through her bandage while she was fighting out of it. 

Suddenly, she swung her left leg at the leader's helmet which her boot collided with his chin, causing her boot to fly up in the rainy sky.

Once Kairi was out of the Force chokehold and was able to breathe, she fell onto the muddy ground before she made herself invisible, causing the workers to scream in shock.

The Purge Troopers were looking around for Kairi as the leader was recovering from the younger woman's attack.

One of them shoot their weapon where Kairi was, but he didn't hear her cry out in pain.

"I know you are here, little miss disappear." One of the Purge Troopers responded while he was aiming his blaster, until he started yelling out in pain. 

Everyone was seeing him getting hit from behind by an object, causing him to drop his weapon and fell into the muddy ground.

"Right there, you idiots!" The leader of the Purge Troopers retorted, before they saw muddy footprints running off. "Get that Jedi!" He yelled.

"Yes, First Brother!" The second Purge Trooper responded before they started running off to catch Kairi who was still invisible while First Brother stayed with the bar women.

_ "She's probably running off to find the second Jedi. Don't worry. I have sent her a little meeting buddy to greet her."  _ The First Brother thought to himself, before he ignited his dual side lightsaber, causing the coworkers to scream in fright once again.

_ "Kairi, run! Run and don't look back!" _ Kie thought to herself, as Kairi was looking back to see the Purge Troopers were still shooting at her once she revealed herself.

In a blink of an eye, Kairi saw a flash of red when she saw The First Brother slaughtered her coworkers before she jumped onto the moving train when she slowed it down. When she made it, Kairi was looking back at the Purge Troopers who were stuck in that one spot, as she lost them when the train got faster.

Tears ran down her face as Kairi was catching her breath, before she started running through the compartments of the train to make herself blend into a crowded one. 

"Almost there. Just hold on, Cal!" Kairi responded.

But when she made it to the second one, Kairi felt herself being electrocuted throughout her body as she was screaming in pain, before she passed out with one hit in the back of the head.

"Jedi scum. Tried to run away from me again, I see? And looks like you gave yourself away. Wait until Second Sister sees you along with the Emperor." The First Brother responded as he looked over Kairi's unconscious body.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of Iris? Is she okay to be trusted? What about First Brother? How does he know about Kairi so much? Is there a connection between Kairi, Iris and First Brother?


	4. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kairi is captured by First Brother, he leads the hostage Jedi Padawan to the rigger crew line where Second Sister and Ninth Sister are searching for Cal. But both are unaware of the consequences that could happen in front of their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If my original character Kairi was in the Jedi Fallen Order game, I would have her voiced by Stephanie Sheh. She voice acts in anime, but I know her as the voice of Hinata Hyuga/Uzumaki, Rin Nohara and even the Viz Media dub version of Usagi Tsukino!

**_5 Years Ago… Three Weeks Later After the Purge..._ **

_ "You've always appreciated my voice, Prauf." Kairi responded after she put away her guitar when Prauf walked in to see her singing to herself. "Singing sometimes calms me. Even when times are rough." She explained. _

_ Kairi was in the hospital being treated for pneumonia when Cal had to spend the credits that had from being on a street corner while the 11 year old Padawan played a guitar that she found in the trash. _

_ "That's true. I'm glad that you're feeling better, kid. You've barely survived if I haven't found you and your brother." Prauf explained, before sitting down at the foot of the hospital bed. _

_ "Cal's not my brother. He's my friend." Kairi corrected before looking back at the 14 year old Padawan who was deeply sleeping on the couch, covered in blankets. _

_ "Well, he told me that you were his adopted sister." Prauf stated.  _

_ Kairi forgot about how Cal told her how to get away with a few lies and always do not reveal who they truly were before the Purge. Even though it only happened a few weeks ago, Kairi knew that she must learn how not to trust anyone and even don't stand out, just how she accidentally started the fire at the abandoned building when Cal only left for a few minutes to get food and medicine. _

_ "I… keep forgetting. Sorry." Kairi responded, before looking down at her small hands which were covered by bandages. _

_ "You're okay, kid." Prauf replied, after putting his hand on Kairi's left shoulder. "There's something I need to ask. How did two little kids like you ended up on the streets? Were you two lost? Did something happen to your parents?" He asked. _

_ Kairi didn't know how to respond, knowing that he and Cal were supposed to be in hiding.  _

_ But she had to think of something quick and she thought of it. _

_ "Sometimes when you had the life… in the palm of your hands. Being happy. Getting to share laughter. And even learning new things everyday. It always doesn't have a happy ending. Cal and I… we've lost two important people in our lives weeks back. We were running. Because we're just scared little kids, Prauf. And… it had something to do with me. I didn't want to believe it at first. But-" Kairi tried to explain as she partially told the truth and even lying throughout her teeth while covering up the fact that they were Jedi. _

_ Prauf pulled Kairi close to him as tears were running down her face. _

_ "You've survived it. And I'm sure that this won't happen again… Once you two are rested and feeling better again, I'll look after you two. I mean, I couldn't leave two kids like you in a hospital either to be separated or whatever. Not even when you nearly lost your hands in that fire." Prauf explained as Kairi's eyes widened in shock, before she returned a hug while ignoring her healing hands. _

_ "Prauf… thank you." Kairi whispered... _

* * *

**Present Time…**

Breathing in and out heavily, Kairi was trying to find out where she was being taken after when First Brother caught her. The 16 year old Jedi had a blindfold covering her face as she could feel the chilly rain dripping down her clothes and the wind blowing through her now ripped black shirt and white long apron skirt while getting the shivers when she was still missing a boot after kicking it off. 

"Move!" First Brother's voice was heard before hearing a lightsaber igniting as Kairi jumped slightly and began to walk onto the muddy ground. "Stop." He stated as Kairi stayed still before feeling another presence approaching in front of her.

"Is this her?" Another voice was heard which sounded like a woman's voice, before Kairi felt the blindfold being taken off. "Silver eyes and a purple forehead symbol. This is truly her." She stated as Kairi blinked her eyes to get a clearer vision, until she got kicked down by First Brother's right foot.

"How does that feel? You like that?!" First Brother asked as he was in rage, while Kairi was screaming out in pain when her spine started to hurt.

She managed to turn her head to look up and saw the shipyard rigger crew who were lined up and were looking at her, until she saw Cal and Prauf.

_ "How did they find her so quick? Did she do something to draw attention to herself?"  _ Cal thought to himself as he was looking down at Kairi who was resting her chin in the mud.

"We seek a dangerous fugitive. Just like this one before you all. She is a devotee of the treasonous Jedi Order. Failure to turn in the other one will be charged with sedition. Or…" Second Sister responded as Kairi saw another one of them who was bigger than the other of the rigger crew while circling around like a hunter seeking its prey. "This one dies first. And I know fellow Jedi doesn't let other Jedi die." She stated, before First Brother pulled Kairi up by her long black hair roughly, causing her to scream out.

Kairi's eyes were closed as she could feel her own hair being pulled out of her scalp while trying to break free, knowing that the rope was tight on her wrists.

"Come on. Go ahead. Call out to the one who you have been staying with. What is he? Your friend? Your brother? A lover? I know it's one of them. This is what I did to your mother years ago." First Brother responded hauntingly in her ear before, before Kairi opened her eyes while trying to look at him sideways without moving her own head.

"My… my mother?" Kairi managed to ask.

_ "Kairi, just hold still. I'm untying the rope."  _ Iris responded through Kairi's mind, as she could feel Iris' presence next to her.

"I… I think it's time that someone came forward."

Kairi turned her head as she looked at Prauf who spoked up, before she was quickly shaking her head no until she saw Cal trying to pull him back, but Prauf decided to step in.

"I uh… I have been working on this heap for a long time. Way before the war." Prauf started to explain as Cal was looking around with his green eyes before he was reaching something from behind his back, while Kairi kept her eyes on the Abednedo.

_ "Iris, hurry!"  _ Kairi thought as she felt that Iris was having a hard time getting it untied.

"We were the best in the galaxy." Prauf responded as he turned around to face the rigger crew before looking at First Brother and Second Sister. "Then came the Empire. And the engineers… became scrapers. The workers… They just started getting worked." He explained while looking back at the rigger crew.

"Prauf…" Cal responded, as Kairi felt the rope that tied her getting loose.

"We all know the truth." Prauf explained before he turned to First Brother and Second Sister. "We're just too afraid to say it…" 

Kairi was just about to stand up once she felt Iris putting her own lightsaber in the 16 year old teen's right hand, but Iris held her down.

_ "What are you doing?! He's going to get himself killed!"  _ Kairi thought as she felt Iris' grip onto her shoulders while Prauf continued to speak his mind before he was standing next to Kairi's right side with Second Sister on her left hand side.

_ "He knows way too much. I'm sorry."  _ Iris responded in Kairi's mind before the 16 year old was trying to fight out of it.

"No! Prauf, no!" Kairi spoked up, before First Brother stomped on her back once again as she cried out in pain until she landed on the side of her face.

_ "I told you to hold still."  _ Iris stated in Kairi's mind while looking at her and back at Prauf.

"...We're just expendables!" Prauf finished after looking down at Kairi and back at the rigger crew.

"Yes. You are." Second Sister responded as she pulled out her lightsaber and stab Prauf in the chest once it ignited.

Kairi's heartbeat echoed as her eyes widened in shock along with Cal's after they witnessed Prauf being killed in front of their eyes.

"Prauf!" Kairi cried loudly.

"No!" Cal screamed.

Suddenly, Cal pulled out his late master's lightsaber as Kairi recognized from out of nowhere. She thought Cal hid it back at their apartment, but she realized that he had it on him even after so long. 

When he tried to strike Second Sister with it, the Inquisitor ignited another blade as Kairi never saw a dual side lightsaber before in her life.

"Look at this. A lightsaber." Second Sister responded, as the second blade clashed with Cal's until… Kairi had enough.

She immediately pulled out Iris' lightsaber and ignited it causing her to cut her hair from behind to break the rough hold that First Brother grip tightly.

"You have her lightsaber. Not bad for a weakling." First Brother responded as Kairi held Prauf close to her while aiming the lightsaber at First Brother and Second Sister. 

"...un… Run…kiddo." Prauf managed to say as Kairi had anger written on her face towards the two Inquisitors.

"I'm not leaving you-" Kairi whispered before she felt herself being choked along with hearing Cal being choked as well.

The two Jedi were next to each other while holding their lightsabers in their hands as Kairi had her left hand reaching out for Prauf while the wounded Abednedo tried to do the same thing.

"Say goodbye to Daddy." First Brother teased, before the two Jedi were pushed towards the other Inquisitor who was more tough and taller than the two.

"I found two Jedi!" The other Inquisitor named the Ninth Sister responded as Kairi and Cal were only unconscious for a few seconds before the 16 year old Jedi slammed the emitter of Iris' lightsaber onto Ninth Sister's helmet causing her to drop Kairi first before Cal.

Hearing Kairi's screams, Cal woke up to see Kairi crash landing into a moving train until he landed on Kairi's body.

"What was that noise?" 

"Check for the disturbance."

Cal managed to pull himself up after when he landed on her back, before he helped her stand up.

"That will hurt in the morning." Kairi moaned.

"Agree." Cal responded as he still got his lightsaber in his right hand, until the two saw Stormtroopers who saw them.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" One of the Stormtroopers asked while aiming their blasters at Cal and Kairi.

"Hey, hey, just take it easy." Cal responded calmly while having his left hand up with Kairi standing behind him. 

"Call this in. We have two stowaways." One of the Stormtroopers stated as Kairi felt Iris' hand on her right shoulder.

"We don't have to call this in-" Cal started to say as Kairi walked forward with her eyes closed.

_ "Do it."  _ Iris whispered, before Kairi turned on her lightsaber and started swinging at the Stormtroopers, before stabbing the last one in the chest when she kicked their blaster out of his hands.

Kairi was breathing in and out through her mouth before she turned around to face Cal who was looking back and forth at her and her lightsaber, knowing that Kairi lost her lightsaber on the day of the Purge just like his own.

"I can explain. Really, Cal, I can." Kairi responded defensively.

"Save it for later. We have to go now." Cal replied before Kairi nodded as she and the 19 year old Jedi started running.

As they were going through each cart of the train, Cal would turn around to see if Kairi was keeping up and yet she was. But on their way, a few Stormtroopers were trying to stop them as they both fought them. When Kairi was down to her last one after kicking the Stormtrooper's helmet, Cal strikes him as Kairi smiles at the teamwork they have done together in one cart. 

"How did they find you?" Cal asked.

"Does using the Force twice while getting a box of Jogan berries count as getting caught as a Jedi in hiding?" Kairi questioned loudly due to the train and heavy rainfall. "What about your side of the story?" She asked back before deflecting a blaster bullet back at one of the Stormtroopers.

"Ah, you know. I did the same thing as you. But it was to save Prauf from death." Cal answered as he managed to take down an Stormtrooper who had an electric baton.

"Prauf…" Kairi muttered before she thought back to him being stabbed to death by Second Sister's lightsaber. "I didn't do anything to save him." She whispered as tears were running down her face, before she remained focused on one Stormtrooper who started jogging towards her with an electric baton.

But a flash of Prauf came back into her mind once more as she let her guard down before she cried out in pain.

"She's been hit!" The Stormtrooper announced as Kairi backed away from him while clutching onto her left arm.

Cal immediately ran towards the Stormtrooper who taken the hit on Kairi's arm before parrying his attack until he rolled over his back and struck him down.

"Kairi, are you okay?" Cal asked, while Kairi was nodding in agreement as she lifted up her long sleeve black shirt to reveal the second degree burn on her arm.

"I'll take care of it later. We have to go, before-" Kairi started to say, before hearing a lightsaber igniting from behind as Cal pulled the 16 year old Jedi behind him in a protective way.

"I'll give you a 10 second head start, since you two are only Padawans." First Brother warned as he walked towards them slowly in a stalking way, before Cal pulled out his lightsaber. 

Getting into a lightsaber dueling stance, Cal was ready to take on First Brother, but Kairi felt her own head hurting as she remembered that from somewhere until... she saw herself running away from someone who was trying to kill her as a child.

"10… 9… 8…" First Brother started the countdown until Kairi snapped out of it, before she pulled Cal with her, making him run away with her in the process. "Run, little rabbits, run. You can run, but you can't hide." He smirked as Kairi managed to pull Cal inside of the next cart.

"We have to go. We have to stop the train!" Kairi reminded the older Jedi as she was catching her breath until the two started running again.

"Why did you pull me away from him? Do you know who he was?" Cal asked.

"I don't know. I remember that warning advice from my past. It was before Coruscant, I think." Kairi explained before the two were back outside of the cart, until they saw an imperial ship that started shooting out blaster bullets, causing Cal and Kairi to jump down behind crates and barrels.

"That's going to be a problem." Cal stated as he got up before Kairi did the same thing.

"We have to run between the firing shots when it's cooling down." Kairi suggested before she stuck her head out, until it started shooting once again. "Now!" She responded loudly before the two started running until they hid behind another shipment of crates.

"Guess who?" The voice of First Brother was heard from the Imperial ship before Kairi could see him in the windshield as her silver eyes widened in shock.

"How did he?" Cal started to ask, as Kairi hid her face behind cover when First Brother started shooting once again.

"No time, Cal!" Kairi yelled as she held onto Cal's wrist and immediately ran through it. 

As Cal and Kairi can hear the Imperial ship was ready to shoot at them, Kairi had her eyes closed as she felt Iris' presence when she saw that the Force Ghost put a protective shield around her and Cal.

The two were shocked as they were looking around the shield that was deflecting the blaster bullets in different directions, before they ran inside of the next cart.

"A shield too? Invisibility and a shield?!" Cal started to ask after they got into the next cart, before stopping for a few seconds to catch their breath.

"Invisibility is one of them. But not a shield. That's not me." Kairi explained, before she felt a small box fall on top of her head. "Hey!" She retorted as she turned away from Cal while looking at Iris who had her arms crossed.

_ "Do not tell him yet!" _ Iris warned.

"Okay, okay, just calm down." Kairi responded as Cal looked at the 16 year old Jedi who was clearly not talking to anyone from behind.

"Who are you talking to?" Cal asked.

"Uh, no one! Let's just go!" Kairi responded defensively, before they saw a Stormtrooper who started running towards them, but he got killed by the Imperial ship who shot through the train cart in the process. "Well, that was easy." She stated, as Kairi was looking down at the dead Stormtrooper while Cal ran towards the door.

But in the process, the Imperial ship took out the next train cart causing Kairi and Cal to back away from its blaster shots.

"We're going to have to climb. Here, I'll go first." Cal suggested after seeing that the train cart was still connected. 

Kairi nodded as she was looking at Cal, before following him from behind. There were a few times that Kairi had a hard time getting to climb up due to her arm suffering from burns thanks to the Stormtrooper who struck her with an electric baton. 

Cal managed to help her up as the two were next to each other, before seeing the Imperial ship that First Brother piloted to shoot down the two Padawans on the run. 

As the two were staring at the Imperial ship, they believed that this was the end until… The imperial ship was shot down by an unknown ship before the two Jedi held onto parts of the train cart when they nearly slipped off, due to the heavy rain. 

"We're here to help."

A woman's voice was heard as Cal and Kairi saw that the ship pulled closer to them as they saw an older woman who was on the ramp. 

"Who are you?" Cal asked.

"No time! Keep moving!" The woman responded as she was pointing forward. "We'll pick up you two when we can." She responded before going back into the ship, flying ahead until the two Jedi saw Second Sister's TiE fighter ship following the unknown ship.

"Kairi, let's go!" Cal responded, before he managed to save Kairi from slipping off the train and they started running once more.

Feeling like they have been running for hours, Cal and Kairi continue taking out Stormtroopers with their lightsabers as they continue to run, until they noticed Ninth Sister's ship above them.

"That can't be good!" Kairi responded, before Cal managed to pull her close to him in a protective way as the ship fired several rounds onto the train which had explosives.

Suddenly the two lost their footing as they landed on their bottoms as they began to start sliding down from the train carts. Cal accidentally let Kairi go as he tried to move her and himself away from any flying debris that could easily hurt them. Kairi on the other hand was trying to stop her way from sliding down as she and Cal can hear the wind flying through their hair and even the rain hitting their faces. When they noticed that they were about to slide down towards their deaths, the two were lucky when the unknown ship arrived and opened the door as Kairi and Cal managed to jump.

The two were holding onto the ramp as the older woman was reaching out to get them, until Cal's hands slipped off. He immediately grabbed onto Kairi's legs until the 16 year old Jedi could feel that her own weight couldn't help Cal hold onto her as he could feel his arms slipping off her legs.

And the ginger haired Jedi started falling causing Kairi to cry out his name while her right hand was reaching out for the falling 19 year old as she lost her other boot in the process.

"No! Cal!" Kairi cried loudly as the older woman pulled her into the ship, and the ramp began to close.


	5. The Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kairi is rescured as Cal is left behind where Second Sister can get to him. Will she and the people who came to save the two Padawans get to Cal in time?

Kairi was slamming her hands against the closed ramp as she felt the ship taking off away from the exploded train cart and from where Cal had slipped and fallen.

"I need you to calm down, Kairi." The woman spoked as Kairi was pulled away from the closed ramp and the 16 year old Padawan turned around to face her.

But only for a quick second, Kairi started to think for herself as she looked at the older woman on how did she know her name without even introducing herself. Did she know her in her past? Was it before Coruscant? Or was she a part of her hidden memories?

Snapping out of it, Kairi thought about Cal who could be dead at the moment.

"But Cal… We have to go back for him. He's my friend!" Kairi cried loudly as she remembered seeing Cal fallen off the ramp and holding onto her small legs, before slipping off.

"Crying doesn't solve everything. And don't worry, we're going to save him. Just stay calm." The woman explained, before Iris appeared right next to the older woman as Kairi shifted her silver eyes to the Force Ghost.

_ "She's right. Cal will be okay. Just remain focus on saving him." _ Iris stated before Kairi nodded once the older woman walked towards the cockpit of the ship.

"Greez, we're going to have to book it. One of them fell-" The older woman explained as Kairi managed to sit down on the floor of the ship, before pulling out Iris' lightsaber.

"What?!" The pilot exclaimed, as Kairi looked up to see a Latero who was piloting the ship before looking back at the older woman when she walked back to her. 

Kairi's silver eyes widened as they glowed a green color which made her head start to hurt while backing away slowly.

_ "Come here. You're safe now, Kairi. He won't be back for you anymore."  _

Kairi stared at the older woman as she had her left hand on her shoulder before the 16 year old Padawan spoked up after blinking her eyes a few times.

"Cere?" She asked, thinking of the woman's name which she had heard before somewhere in the past.

After Cal landed on the platform with the help of a flying droid who dropped him since the weight of the 19 year old Padawan was much more heavy than itself. As he tried to run off once again, Cal stopped running once he looked up to see Second Sister's TiE fighter ship which had landed above him.

"Going somewhere?" Second Sister asked after climbing out of the TiE fighter ship and landed on the platform, keeping her eyes on Cal. "What happened to the other one? Did she kill herself because it was too bearable of being hunted?" She asked, before walking slowly towards Cal while she switched the emitter on for her lightsaber to have one red blade.

"Keep her out of this." Cal muttered, as he turned his lightsaber on and he immediately got into a lightsaber dueling stance which he remembered back from his training days with his late master.

"I recognize that stance. Tell me. Who was your master, young Padawan? Perhaps it was someone that I've killed. Or maybe tell me more about the girl with the Domino forehead symbol? Who gives you the right to protect someone like her when she is hiding something more?" Second Sister asked before she stopped walking and stood still, hoping to make Cal speak about Kairi or his late master.

Cal didn't want to hear anymore of her talking as he ended up making the first move by running towards her and attacking her with his lightsaber. As Second Sister was blocking each strike, Cal can tell that she was stronger than her, knowing that the Dark Side of the Force can give her much needed strength. With him not being able to pull it off even after being in hiding, Cal knew that he wasn't strong enough to land a hit on her as he was dodging her strong attacks. 

But when the two got separated, Second Sister immediately ran towards Cal who decided to clash his lightsaber with hers, the two were trying to pull off enough strength to strike back. Cal was getting weaker and weaker each second until… the unknown ship appeared and immediately separated the two with its blaster shots.

Cal landed on his back as he was close to the platform ledge, before the ship pulled up close until Cere and Kairi was on it.

"Come on, let's go!" Cere called out.

Cal heard the older woman's voice before he immediately stood up and ran inside as he was limping his way onto the ramp, before Kairi immediately hugged him.

The two Padawans looked back as they saw Second Sister who was walking slowly in a stalking way with her lightsaber still in her right hand, ready to take down the three in front of her.

Cere pulled the two inside of the ship before firing off her blaster, but Second Sister was quick as she dodges each fire before she jumped up in the air with her lightsaber to attack Cere with the ramp closing at the same time.

It was in slow motion to them until the ramp finally closed and left a lightsaber slash mark on it with Cere who had fallen back in shock. 

The three ran towards the cockpit of the ship as Cal still had his lightsaber still turned on while Kairi and Cere were in front of him. 

"You okay?" Kairi asked, once they pulled away from the platform until she started screaming in fright when the Second Sister appeared and started using the Force to control the ship.

Cal immediately held Kairi close with one hand as he kept his lightsaber in the other hand, while the ship was flying around in circles.

"Hold on, Kairi…" Cal exclaimed, before Kairi felt her own body moving on her own as she managed to walk towards the front of the ship while Cere was trying to control it.

Everything around Kairi felt like it slowed down as she didn't hear, but she felt the Force around her as she had her eyes closed. 

Raising her hands up in a pushing away motion with her index, middle and thumb fingers touching each other, making a circle with Second Sister inside of it, Kairi narrowed her silver eyes at her once her forehead symbol glowed until everyone saw the Inquisitor being pushed off and disappeared around a greenish glow right before their very eyes. 

Once the Latero had his hands on the controls, Kairi was looking back at her hands like she was amazed by what she had done without feeling any fear. 

Was it all Iris' doing? Or was it a new ability that Kairi didn't know about yet? 

"Wow…" Kairi whispered to herself before feeling the ship taking off into hyperspace. 

"Okay. Put that away. And grab some seat." Greez responded after he and Cere turned around to see Kairi looking back at Cal who had his shock emerald green eyes on the 16 year old Padawan, before calming down once he switched his lightsaber off.

"Thanks for the help." Cal stated before he moved to the seating area which had a holotable around it. "But who are you people?" He asked.

"My name is Cere Junda. And this is my captain, Greez Dritus." Cere introduced themselves before Kairi sat down.

"How ya doin'?" Greez greeted, as Kairi and Cal were looking around the interior of the ship. "Yeah, the Mantis is my ship, but you two better pay attention to this lady here." He explained before Cal checked on Kairi's left arm which still had the second degree burn marks from the Stormtrooper who attacked her first.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It will heal." Kairi responded reassuringly as Cal pulled her towards the seats and made her sit down.

"I'll take care of it. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing…" Cere stated, as Cal didn't know when to trust the older woman or not when around Kairi, but he stepped away once the 16 year old Padawan nodded reassuring him. "So. What's your name?" She asked before Cere sat down next to Kairi while examining her burn mark.

"Cal. Kestis. Who was that back there?" Cal responded as he walked away in a pace.

"An imperial Inquisitor. She's a Force wielder trained to hunt down Jedi survivors. And now she knows who you are. She will not stop until you and Kairi are dead." Cere explained as she put disinfectant on Kairi's burn mark which caused her to hold in her scream with her mouth closed, before putting Batca tape on it.

"How do you know so much? And how do you know about Kairi?" Cal asked, while he was rubbing his right shoulder.

"We've tracked down imperial commutations. And that's when we made our move… Kairi on the other hand-" Cere started to explain before she was cut off.

"I was rescued by Cere when I was just a Youngling. It was before Coruscant. Someone tried to kill me. I think." Kairi answered, before rubbing her healing arm.

"And the person responsible erased her memories." Cere finished before Cal looked back at Kairi who was looking down at her feet.

"I was planning to tell you that if we've made it back home. But bad luck is around every corner." Kairi responded before Cal held her hands in resurance.

"Listen… I get how you feel. You two were surviving on your own. Even know not to trust anyone. And what's kept you alive. But this is something more bigger than that." Cere explained, as Cal was looking up at her.

"Like what?" Cal asked.

"Rebuilding the Jedi Order." Cere stated.

Cal and Kairi had both of their eyes lit up once those words came out of Cere's mouth.

"Really? You mean? No more in hiding?" Kairi asked as Cal stood up from the floor.

"You two? Is there anyone else?" Cal asked.

"What? We're not good enough for ya?" Greez asked, thinking that it was offensive.

"The Jedi Council?" Cal asked once more.

Cere stood there as he was quiet before she spoke up.

"No. They're gone." Cere answered.

"No…" Kairi whispered as she couldn't believe it, but she still must accept the truth.

"Captain. Set the course to Bogano." Cere stated.

"Aye, aye." Greez responded before he set back in his chair as the three who remained around the holotable part of the Mantis.

"Just try and rest up. You two are safe for now." Cere stated before Kairi tried to stand up but she ended up falling back on the couch while clutching her own head.

Kairi gave out a few yelping cries as Cal rushed to her side.

"What is it? Another one of those headaches?" Cal asked as he studied the 16 year old Padawan in front of him before Kairi managed to nod when her nose started to bleed.

"I just… Let me rest for a bit…" Kairi managed to say before passing out on the couch, as she can hear Cal calling her name which was fading out...

* * *

_ Kairi woke up on a cold floor as she saw a few clone troopers running past her while they were shooting their blasters at an unknown sith before she quickly stood up and ran off. _

_ Stopping midway during her run, Kairi realized that she was on the same ship when she heard the same baby cry. _

_ "The little one… I have to find her." Kairi responded as she was trying to find out where the sound of the baby's cry was coming from, before she managed to find the nursery. _

_ Running towards the crib, Kairi looked inside… but there was no baby inside.  _

_ Her eyes widened in shock as she had her hands on the railing before hearing the sealed doors opening and saw someone who had a brown Jedi cloak on running towards the crib, lifting up a blanket. _

_ "So young with your abilities, little one." The voice of Kairi's Jedi Master, Rin Sotah was heard as he cradled the baby who happened to be invisible inside of the blanket. _

_ The baby cooed before showing it's small hands reaching out to touch Rin's face until Iris ran inside who had the same matching cloak on like her husband. _

_ "Is she safe?" Iris asked. _

_ "She is. Go to the escape pods. I will find you and her on…" Rin responded as Kairi didn't hear what planet that mentioned to his wife. _

_ "What if my sisters don't accept her?" Iris asked. _

_ "They will. She has our blood. Go. I'll take care of him." Rin Sotah explained, before she nodded running out of the nursery as Kairi watched. _

_ Rin Sotah pulled out his lightsaber as it had an ancient design on it before looking back at the gold wedding band which was under his glove. _

_ "No matter what. I will protect my wife and child. I am a Jedi who has a heart of one." Rin responded, before Kairi tried to reach out to him and touch his shoulder. _

_ "Why? Why haven't you told me about her and your child, Master?" Kairi whispered before Rin ran out of the nursery with his lightsaber in his right hand. "Just why?" She whispered, before everything around Kairi turned bright as she became blinded… _

* * *

"Master?!" Kairi screamed out, before she realized that she was in one of the bedrooms of the Mantis. 

Breathing in and out slowly, Kairi was rubbing her eyes before climbing out of the bed to see that she was stripped down to her grey sports bra and black shorts.

"Who took off my clothes?" Kairi asked herself, before seeing her old clothes that were folded up, along with Iris' lightsaber, her belt bag and her journal on the small table next to her.

Kairi grabbed her clothes as she stared at her long white apron skirt that was ripped before finding a pair of scissors. Laying it down on the bed, Kairi slowly got down to her knees and started cutting it to make it above the knee skirt.

"Perfect." Kairi whispered before turning towards her new long sleeve black shirt which she believes that it was given by Cere.

Slowly putting on her clothes, Kairi looked at herself in the mirror to see that her once long black hair was trimmed after when she used the lightsaber to cut First Brother's grip from it.

_ "I'm not worried about it now. Having it short makes me feel better."  _ Kairi thought to herself before putting on her belt bag around her hips and the lightsaber on the right side of it.

Leaving the room, Kairi turns to the left to see that there was a room where it was located at the back of the ship where there was a medication circle, a small bed and even a workbench that had tools for a lightsaber.

Walking ahead, Kairi noticed Cal and Cere who were sitting down while having a conversation before she climbed down the small steps as they saw her.

"Hey." Kairi greeted quietly as her hands clasped together.

"How are you feeling?" Cere asked.

"I've been better." Kairi answered before she walked around the small table and sat down, but kept her distance.

"Are you sure? No more migraines or ringing in your ears?" Cal asked.

"I'm still breathing, am I?" Kairi responded, before Cal nodded before his eyes turned towards the lightsaber that was still hooked onto the 16 year old Padawan's belt bag. "Don't stare at it." She stated once she heard Iris' voice telling her to repeat it to Cal.

"Sorry… Kairi. It's just that… I never seen you with that lightsaber before. Not even when we were at the Jedi Temple. I can tell that It's not even yours." Cal explained as he can see a force echo around it before Kairi placed the lightsaber down on the table.

"It actually belongs to someone else. When I was having these visions… this lightsaber is connected to me somehow." Kairi explained, before turning to her right to see Iris, who was watching what words that the 16 year old Padawan was choosing her words carefully without speaking of her. "But it's mine for now." She stated.

"Your memories?" Cal asked.

"The first thing she remembered was meeting me before I took her to Coruscant. But I knew back then she was a Force sensitive child. Strong with both light and the dark side is what the Jedi Council said when they tested her." Cere explained.

"Light and dark?" Cal asked, before he looked at Kairi who was quiet at the moment as she kept her eyes on the lightsaber on the table. "There's no way. Kairi should be a normal force user like any other Jedi." He responded as he didn't want to believe it at first, knowing that Kairi is a gentle person on the inside and out while being a strong Padawan. 

"It's the truth. That forehead symbol on her head proves that she's strong with both light and dark sides. Even her Master. Rin Sotah had one but it was a different color than Kairi's." Cere explained as Kairi looked up, before she decided to speak up.

"Cere, Cal… I have something I've been meaning to tell you. My master has hidden so many secrets from me ever since he chose me to be his Padawan. And I want to find them for myself to help me find out who I truly am. I don't know where to start…" Kairi explained as she felt Iris' hand on her shoulder, hoping that it would keep her calm.

"We're coming up on our destination."

The three heard Greez's voice as they stood up from the couch but when Cal tried to reach out to grab Kairi's lightsaber, the 16 year old Padawan immediately used Force pull as she had it in her hand, looking up at the ginger haired Jedi.

"Don't ever touch it. Okay, Cal?" Kairi stated before climbing it back on her belt bag.

Cal nodded before the two felt the Mantis landing as the ramp opened and Cere walked onto it with the ginger haired Jedi following her.

"This is Bogano. You won't find it on any maps." Cere stated as they were off the Mantis while Kairi was staring at the sun before using her forearm to cover her eyes.

The planet had a clear horizon as the bright sunlight was the first thing that everyone sees but Kairi can see fresh dirt and even plants growing out of the ground, before seeing multiple holes leaping around it.

"So what's next? We hide out here?" Cal asked as Kairi was feeling the warm wind blowing through her hair before the next thing she thought of doing was taking off her new boots, letting her feel the ground below her.

"We're done hiding, Cal. See that structure? I believe that holds the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order." Cere explained as Cal was staring at an acincet vault in a far away distance from where the older woman pointed to. "But to take someone strong with the Force." She stated before Kairi felt the dirt between her toes, until she started exclaiming in happiness while running around. 

Cal and Cere looked at her before the ginger haired Jedi smiled at seeing Kairi's smile, until he caught her.

"Hey, slow down, Kairi." Cal responded.

"Sorry. I got sidetracked." Kairi replied after calming down.

"Kairi, go on ahead. I need to talk to Cal for a second." Cere responded, before Kairi nodded until she ran off with her boots in her left hand. 

"Is it about her again?" Cal asked.

"Yes. I know you don't know much about her. But I suggest you keep an eye on her like when you told me you've promised General Rin Sotah. Even though Kairi is slowly getting her memories back, it's best not for her to turn against us." She responded.

"Kairi will never do that. I've known her since we were Younglings." Cal stated as he saw Kairi crawling on fours while a bogling was staring at her with its big eyes. "She's just a mysterious one full of wonder. Back when she was with Master Sotah, he was shielding her away from the outside, since he was strict on her. That's what she told me." He stated, before seeing Kairi lightly petting it.

"That sounds strange of him to do to his Padawan. She was supposed to be learning the ways of the Force instead of being shelter. For now, just keep an eye on her…and there is someone else you and Kairi should meet. I'll share more of my plan when you two come back. May the Force be with you." Cere explained before she walked back into the Mantis.

Cal walked towards Kairi as she stood up once the bogling quickly disappeared off into its hole when it got scared.

"So, why are we here? What did Cere talk about?" Kairi asked as she had her hands behind her back.

"We're supposed to meet someone here. A Jedi lives here on the planet somewhere. But Cere suggested to go to the vault." Cal explained, as he pointed towards the vault where Kairi can see it.

"Alright then." Kairi responded before she smiled.

Cal smiled back as he knew Kairi's smile gave him hope every time he saw it.


	6. The First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After landing on Bogano, Cere has given Cal and Kairi a test to get to ancient vault. What will happen on the way there?

"So if Cere wants us to look for a Jedi here. Why does she need us? She's a Jedi after all." Kairi responded as she and Cal started walking.

"She's not a Jedi anymore. She cut herself off from the Force." Cal corrected her as he was on Kairi's left side while they walked.

"What? Why?" Kairi asked after they jumped down and started jogging.

"I have no idea, Kairi. We'll know soon if we ask her." Cal answered, before finding a patch of grass which he thought of trying to meditate for a minute. "Okay, Kairi. Let me meditate here for a while. Just keep an eye out for anything." He stated before he slowly got down on his knees, closing his emerald green eyes in the process.

"Okay… I'll just-" Kairi started to say to herself before turning around to see Iris as she screamed frighteningly. "Yo, you gotta stop scaring me like that! My heart is all the way down to my stomach." She explained while trying to calm down as her hands were on her knees until she heard Cal muttering underneath his breath.

"No… Master… Kairi…" Cal muttered as Kairi looked back at him, knowing that he was having a hard time clearing his mind.

Kairi only watched as she knew in her mind not to interfere with meditation, but she knew deep down that she had to help Cal.

As beads of sweat began to show on Cal's face along with him shifting, Kairi immediately got on her knees in front of Cal and took his hands into own. His labored breathing began to slow as Kairi was rubbing the back of his hand with her thumbs before looking up to see Cal who immediately opened his eyes. 

He began to start scanning the area around him and Kairi, before seeing Iris who was behind the 16 year old Jedi Padawan, but she quickly disappeared when she got caught.

"Cal…" Kairi started to say before removing her hands from his larger ones. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I… I just saw someone." Cal stated.

"What?" Kairi asked before she turned around until looking down to see a white and red bi pedal droid. "Awww!" She exclaimed with a smile on her face.

The bi pedal droid flew up and rested on top of Kairi's left shoulder before he started introducing him with his beeping and chirping sounds.

"Hey, BD-1. I'm Cal." He introduced himself.

"And I'm Kairi, little guy." She introduced herself as well, before he jumped onto Kairi's lap.

BD-1 started beeping as he was asking a question in concern to Cal.

"Yeah. I'm okay. But… we're looking for someone." Cal answered as he had his hands on his knees.

BD-1 asked once more thinking they were looking for him.

"No, not you. We're supposed to be looking for… a Jedi, I think." Cal answered.

BD-1 trilled as he jumped off of Kairi's lap and started running off.

"Wait, you know the Jedi? Hey, wait up." Cal responded as he and Kairi stood up and watched him jump onto a control lock panel before using his scomp link to slice through.

A metal bridge pulled out as Cal and Kairi were amazed by how one small droid could do that, before BD-1 flew ahead of them when they started climbing on the vines.

Once they reach to where BD-1 is, they can see the vault in the distance.

"That's the vault Cere mentioned. Whoever is there supposed to be waiting on us, Cal." Kairi stated as she walked ahead before reaching the ledge. Turning back around, 16 year old Jedi Padawan started walking through a holomap which BD-1 pulled up. "Sorry, little buddy." She apologized before moving outside of the holomap.

BD-1 beeped as he started zooming in to where the vault is before Cal studied the map.

"There are a few places to start searching around Bogano. But for now, we gotta find our way to the vault." Cal explained, as the two can see the path to where the Mantis is, before BD-1 closed the holomap and the two Jedi Padawans started following the bi pedal droid.

As they jumped from each platform to the next, Kairi immediately stopped as Cal pulled her back from taking a deadly fall.

"Thanks." Kairi responded as Cal's hands were still around her small waist.

"Any ideas on how to get across this gap?" Cal asked, before letting go.

BD-1 beeped as he thought of an idea to where he can use the zipline to carry the two.

"But wouldn't it break? And will it be hard for BD-1 to come back and get you?" Kairi explained as BD-1 got onto the zipline, ready to start sliding down.

"We're going to do this at the same time. You're going to climb onto my back and hold onto me. Don't worry, we won't fall to our deaths." Cal explained as he remembered all the times from lifting up heavy scrap parts and even climbing up ropes as a rigger on Bracca.

"But Cal…" Kairi started to say as she was hesitating about the idea while backing away.

"Do you trust me?" Cal asked.

Kairi looked up at him before nodding slightly.

Cal turned around to face away from her until, until the 16 year old Jedi Padawan slowly climbed onto his back, as she remembered a younger Cal doing this to her when she was out of strength during their first few weeks on Bracca.

"I do, Kestis." Kairi whispered as she wrapped her arms around him, before resting her head on the back of Cal's ginger hair.

Unexpectedly, Kairi moved her face in front of his ginger hair before taking a small inhale of his hair scent.

"Wow… his hair smells… so amazing. Which conditioner does he use? Or is it all water and soap?" Kairi thought to herself as her silver eyes were closed with her nose in Cal's ginger hair when she relaxed, smelling his scent.

Cal smiled before he managed to jump and grabbed BD-1's legs as they began to slide down onto the zipline.

"It… it worked." Kairi responded before she climbed off of Cal's back.

"And you didn't panic this time." Cal replied before he turned around to face her.

"Yeah… I guess I didn't. Maybe we should do that more often… I mean the zipline routine until I find some way to help me. Not me hugging you from behind." Kairi responded as she realized what she meant which she completely embarrassed herself, causing Cal to laugh at her blushing face. "Hey, stop that!" She exclaimed as she gave out her signature pout with her arms crossed. 

"It's cute when you do that. You're still the same Kairi I knew back from Coruscant." Cal stated, before Kairi looked at him.

"Whatever, Kestis." Kairi responded as she calmed down, before the two continued to follow BD-1 as he started to walk onto a metal bar. "This is the way? Can't we just find another way?" She asked

"That door is locked. Listen, just walk in front of me. Right foot ahead of the left. Keep your balance. And don't look down." Cal explained as he gently lifted up Kairi's arms to the side before Kairi looked down at the metal pole.

Breathing slowly with her eyes closed, Kairi walked as she remembered Cal's words in her mind before Cal followed her, until they reached another place on the map which looked like an abandoned workshop to them.

Cal and Kairi stopped when they saw a bograt attacking a bogling who was only peeking its head out of the hole, until BD-1 jumped onto its attacker's head, before trying to back him off with a kick.

The bograt immediately got furious as it only hit the bi pedal droid one time as it damaged BD-1's scomp link.

"Hold on, BD-1! We're coming." Cal responded, before Kairi accidentally let go of the pole with one hand, when she tried to pull out her lightsaber.

Fell down on her back, Kairi caught the two bograt's attention before they immediately ran up to her until Cal jumped off and did an overhead slice attack onto one of them. 

Kairi immediately slowed down the second one as Cal attacked it until the bogratwas in pieces.

Pulling herself up, Kairi started wiping off the dirt off her white skirt with her left hand before Cal checked on her.

"It could have been a lot easier if I didn't try to pull out my lightsaber like that." Kairi responded, before looking down at her right hand that had a vase shard in it. "And that's gonna leave a mark." She stated as Cal examines it, before pulling the shard out and immediately wrapped it with tender tape.

"You have to be more careful, Kai. You're turning into a mummified tomb guardian." Cal responded as he gave out a small joke.

"Each scar tells a story, you know." Kairi responded before the two headed to the room where BD-1 limped off into to be safe.

Slowing down the giant fan, they ran inside before seeing BD-1.

"Hey. That's pretty brave. You okay?" Cal asked.

BD-1 beeped in sadness as he tried to walk it off when Cal and Kairi saw wires and sparks shooting out of his left leg.

"Wait. I can help you with that. Will you let me?" Cal suggested after seeing a workbench. 

BD-1 turned around to face Cal before looking down on his right leg and he immediately limped his way towards the ginger haired Jedi Padawan, jumping in his hands.

At the workbench, Kairi sat down on Cal's left hand side as she decided to watch.

"Well, the scomp link is busted. So… this should get you moving for now." Cal explained before using the soldering iron to fix the wires and even place a piece of BD-1 protective plate back where it was. "Okay. Try that." He responded, before BD-1 tried out his leg and tested out the blue light on his lenses until he reminded the two about the vault.

"Okay. But now we gotta find a way outta here." Kairi responded, before she climbed off the workbench.

As Cal went on ahead after slowing down the giant fan, Kairi heard Iris calling her name before looking at the Force Ghost who was sitting down on the left side workbench.

"Kairi? Are you coming?" Cal asked after noticing that Kairi was still inside of the giant fan room as she was looking around at the spare parts.

"Go on ahead and look. Tell me when you're ready." Kairi responded as she was looking at the workbench on her right to see a few wooden sticks.

Cal nodded as he decided to look around the Hermit's Abode, before finding a force echo in a storage room.

"Whoever lived here used this room for storage, they kept their foods and supplies." Cal stated as Kairi heard that before seeing Iris lifting up a few rocks and starting to throw them at her.

"Oh! You don't say!" Kairi responded loudly after she managed to slow it down with the Force. "Quit it!" She exclaimed as Iris had a smirk on her face.

"What was that?" Cal called out before running out of the storage room to see Kairi holding rocks in her hands.

"Uh, nothing, Cal. I think BD-1 just opened a path for you." Kairi explained, before heading back to the workbench until she saw a toolbox which Iris placed down. "What do you want me to make?" She whispered, before Kairi felt her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

As Iris took control of Kairi's body, she began to start working on the materials that the 16 year old Jedi Padawan found. Grabbing each tool, Kairi was only able to feel as she can hear a hammer pounding along with a chisel, thinking she's working on the rocks. Pulling out her own lightsaber, Iris used it to thin the long sticks before getting some rope to tie it together, until letting Kairi take over her own body.

"What was that about?" Kairi asked after blinking her silver eyes until she looked down at the workbench to see a bow and arrow which was handcrafted in front of her.

Picking it up, Kairi felt her eyes roll back as she remembered that she once used a bow and arrows…

* * *

_**19 BBY...** _

_ "What are you doing with that, Padawan?" Rin Sotah asked after walking into Kairi's bedroom to see her fixing it on the floor. _

_ "Just fixing it, Master. I once used a bow and arrow before somewhere." 9 year old Kairi explained before getting the paint out from her desk… until Rin Sotah looked displeased as he used the Force to pull the paint, bow and arrows from out of her reach. _

_ As they were in his hands, Kairi looked at him. _

_ "You are a Padawan. Not a scavenger or some hunter. As my Padawan, you must learn the ways of the Force. Your lightsaber proves that you are the symbol of hope. Now… I will be taking this." Rin Sotah explained after when Kairi stood up from the floor. _

_ "But Master-" Kairi tried to speak up, but Rin held up a finger. _

_ "And no back talk. You should never do that to your Master or to anyone. You only speak when someone is talking towards you." Rin instructed, before he left… _

* * *

**Present Time**

"Even though I'm warming back up to my lightsaber… Doesn't mean he can stop now since he's gone." Kairi responded to herself as she used Force slow on the giant fan blades before a bog rat saw her running out. 

As the bograt dug a hole to hide himself underground, Kairi had her bow and arrows ready before she felt the room go into complete silence once her forehead symbol glowed. Aiming her arrow, Kairi had her eyes closed before hearing the bog rat digging out until she backed away as she let go of the arrow.

Hearing a painful cry, Kairi quickly pulled out her lightsaber and sliced through the bog rat as two parts of the body fell to the ground. Opening her eyes, she examines her work when she can see that the arrow pierced through its huge orange red eye and its head was sliced off to the side.

"Wow… I did that." Kairi whispered before putting her lightsaber away.

Putting her bow and arrows behind her back, Kairi felt Cal's presence from above as she looked up and saw him.

"Since when do you know how to use a bow and arrow?" Cal asked, knowing that he was amazed by how Kairi could handle her combat skills by herself without needing his help or being injured at the end.

"I… somehow knew. I remember how to use them. Maybe it's part of my hidden past. Plus I remember Master Sotah scolding me about it." Kairi explained.

"I have an idea. Those bow and arrows may come in handy later. Keep them with you, okay?" Cal suggested before he used his lightsaber to cut a rope for Kairi to climb up.

Kairi nodded as smiled before climbing up the rope and taking Cal's hand once she made it to the second floor of the Hermit's Abode.

Kairi slowly removed her hand from Cal's hand as she gently touched it after he walked ahead of her.

"Just like when we were Younglings." Kairi whispered, before following Cal as they were on the roof of the Hermit's Abode.

* * *

Making their way up to the roof, the two were looking around as she could see how beautiful Bogano is from where they were. But a few Sploxs rolled towards them as they were ready to attack Cal and Kairi with their claws. The two managed to stop them by parrying them before doing overhead slashes. Hearing BD-1 beeping at the dead bugs, he started scanning them as a blue ray from his lens glowed.

"He's a cute little droid to have." Kairi stated, before she climbed onto Cal's back as she was ready to use the zipline maneuver like they did last time. "How did he end up here?" She asked.

"I asked the same thing too while you were busy. But BD-1 is like you, Kairi. He doesn't remember." Cal explained.

"Is that true?" Kairi asked after she climbed off and BD-1 jumped onto Cal's back.

BD-1 beeped as he looked at Kairi, agreeing to her.

"Well, maybe we can get them back. He was on this planet for a while, right? The Jedi may be his owner." Kairi explained, as they started walking again.

"We'll see, Kairi." Cal responded.

As the two made it to the Great Divide, they could see the ancient vault nearby along with a few statues that looked very strange to and like they were staring at the two Padawans. Cal and Kairi stopped as BD-1 pulled up the holomap to see that the bi pedal droid mapped everywhere that the three went on the planet. 

They were going in the right direction, but based on the rigged rocks that were in front of them, it was not going to be an easy job to get across to make it to the vault.

"We can't make it over there. All of us gotta find another way." Cal responded.

BD-1 replied with a sad tone, before he saw Kairi walking away from them as she was looking up. 

She walked back to Cal as she got her tiptoes to try to measure how tall Cal is, due to her 5'2'' height.

"What are you doing?" Cal asked, before Kairi had an idea as she ran back.

"Hey… Boost me up." Kairi stated before Cal looked up to see that sturdy structure above them was the way to the vault.

"Not a chance, Kairi. What if something is up there ready to attack you?" Cal responded.

"Then I will deal with them. Cal, you have to let me make decisions on my own. I'm 16 years old." Kairi explained as she looked at him.

"Beep-bop-beep?" BD-1 suggested as the droid looked at Kairi.

"Are you sure? You want to stay with her just in case?" Cal asked as Kairi started smiling at BD-1.

BD-1 flew over to Kairi as he landed on her shoulder before staying on her back.

"Such a cute and brave droid you are!" Kairi responded as she managed to use her left hand to pet his head

BD-1 beeped happily as he nuzzled his head against Kairi's neck, making her laugh.

Cal chuckled, before he got close enough and had his hands out for Kairi put her left foot in.

"Okay, when you get up there. Help me up." Cal responded as Kairi used her left foot and used both of her hands to rest on Cal's shoulders until he boosted her up.

"Like I will ever leave you, Kestis." Kairi scoffed as her hands managed to grab onto the ledge before she used her feet to quickly climb up. "It worked." She stated before BD-1 trilled in agreement.

With Cal watching her, the ginger haired Jedi Padawan can see Kairi standing up and walked a few steps as she can see the vault on top of a muddy hill in front of her.

"Okay. Now, help me up." Cal responded as Kairi got sidetracked and ran back to where she can see Cal from down below.

Having her hand out, Kairi waited for Cal to grab her right hand until BD-1 beeped loudly in a frightened alert tone which caught their attention when Kairi felt a long tongue wrapping around her left ankle.

"Oh no!" Kairi screamed as she felt herself being pulled away from Cal's grasp until he fell down on his back.

Hitting his head as he can hear Kairi calling out his name for help, until he looked over to his left where the ridged rocks were before he stood up.

_ "Try again." _

_ "It's difficult, Master." _

_ "Yes. The path is difficult. But with the persistent and the Force as your ally. You will overcome any obstacle." _

Cal immediately started running before he started to use the wall run ability that he remembered from his training days with Jaro Tapal. 

Making his way to the other side, Cal can tell Kairi was no longer in danger, but she was holding onto the back of Oggdo who was trying to get her off.

"Again! Weee! Again, you big bully!" Kairi teased with laughter, as Cal pulled out his lightsaber while Oggdo was hopping around to try and get the 16 year old Jedi Padawan off of its back.

When Oggdo saw Cal, it immediately jumped towards the ginger haired Jedi Padawan as it tried to munch its teeth onto his body.

Cal started parrying as it backed away from him and when he jumped over him, the 16 year old Jedi Padawan was up in the air which made it the perfect time to slow it down by using the Force.

Kairi pulled out her lightsaber as she decided to stab it into it's back, causing the gigantic toad to yell out in pain which Oggdo immediately stick out his tongue to try and grab Cal. But its life ended quickly when Cal used the force to slow down and cut his extending tongue off with his lightsaber. 

With Oggdo defeated, Kairi jumped off as she landed in the small puddle of water before Cal ran up to the shorter Jedi Padawan to check on her.

"I thought you were about to be eaten. You okay?" Cal asked.

"I'm fine. Just my feet are covered in slime." Kairi answered as she smiled while looking down at her feet that were covered with Oggdo's sticky saliva.

"And where are your boots?" Cal asked.

Kairi was looking around for them, before she pulled them off of the clip that held the two brown slouchy boots together from the back of the 16 year old's belt clip. 

"Just don't lose them, okay? Cere wanted you to have them since you've lost your old pair back on Bracca." Cal informed before BD-1 jumped back onto his back, chirping and thrilling out what happened between Kairi and the Oggdo. "Whoa, hey slow, BD-1!" He laughed while the two were listening how the bi pedal droid had fun while battling the enemy.

"Hey, we can save that story for later when we meet your owner, okay, BD?" Kairi responded with a smile.

BD-1 beeped in agreement before Cal and Kairi were standing in front of a muddy hill that leads to the ancient vault. When the two Jedi started walking, the bi pedal droid jumped off and started running ahead of them which caught their attention.

"Race you two there?" Cal asked.

BD-1 trilled in agreement as he had a head start before Kairi started running as well.

"Whoa! It's on!" Cal responded with excitement in his voice.

"Just like old times?" Kairi asked as she nearly fell and immediately got back up by using her hands.

"Back on Coruscant? You bet!" Cal answered, before BD-1 jumped back onto his back, informing the two that he was done.

"Already?" Kairi asked, as she was out of breath.

"We're not finished yet." Cal stated.

BD-1 beeped as Kairi made it to the top of the hill, resting her hand on the vault structure.

"Okay, okay, you've probably would've won. Kairi, you were not being fair. You've cheated, Jabami." Cal explained before he stood next to Kairi.

"You always get the headstart back in our Younglings days. You never change, Kestis." Kairi explained, before she and Cal stood in front of a sealed off door which was the entrance of the vault.

As Cal was gently touching the vault door with his right hand, Kairi watched as she saw a glowing blue light seeking out between the cracks of it which happens to be the Force.

When Cal took the first breath of concentration on using the Force, the door reacted as it opened slowly, revealing a way inside of the vault.

"It worked." Kairi responded quietly.

"It did." Cal agreed, before he decided to climb inside of the vault with Kairi tailing behind him before the two looked around the vault.

Their feet were touched by water as they could see lily pads and flowers floating in the water. On each side of the vault, there were scriptures of the same statues that were just outside of the vault, meaning that this place that the two were standing inside now was not builded by any other person in the galaxy, but something more sacred and spiritual.

As the two walked forward, BD-1 immediately jumped off and began to scan a circular disc that was in the middle of the vault before they checked on the droid.

"BD-1, are you okay?" Cal asked as Kairi got down on her knees, next to BD-1's left side.

_ "Well done. Whoever you are. You have passed the test that I have left behind and gained access to the vault and this recording, one of many encryptic logs stored inside of the droid. I am Master Eno Cordova. I may not know who you are, but you have a purpose. The faith of the Jedi Order is rested upon on yours…" _ Eno Cordova explained as Kairi turned to her right to see Cal watching the hologram, before seeing Iris appeared next to her left side.

"Wow, for an old Jedi Master who found this place he must have done something to the Zeffo and to my homeworld." Iris responded with her arms crossed, before Kairi shushed her which caught Cal's attention away from the hologram.

_ 'Must be me imagining things.' _ Cal thought as he saw Kairi looking at the hologram of Eno Cordova, before looking back.

_"I have placed here a Jedi Holocron. Containing a list of every name and location of the Force Sensitive children in the entire galaxy. But I can only trust this holocron to show who is willing to follow my footsteps to gain access to it…."_ Eno Cordova continued before Kairi turned to face Iris.

_ "Your home planet? Where did you come from exactly? Am I not allowed to see your face?" _ Kairi thought to herself as she looked at Iris who was looking down at a lily pad which had a pink flower on it.

_"...Seek out the three sages of the hidden tombs of Zeffo. There for, you may seek peace in the eye of the storm. Good luck, Jedi. And May the Force be with you."_ Eno Cordova finished after Kairi turned back around to look back at him.

Once it was over, the two Jedi slowly looked down to BD-1.

"So you're the someone we're supposed to meet." Cal responded, before he sat down in the water in front of BD-1. He only stared at the bi pedaldroid for a few seconds before speaking again. "You know… Me and Kairi… we have been alone for a long time now… not even having a purpose in life. Just hiding. It's not a good feeling or way to have. Not for a Jedi. Or a droid." Cal explained as BD-1 was staring at the two.

"Cere was right all along. Maybe this is the purpose. This is the right way to go." Kairi stated as she gently placed her hand on Cal's right shoulder while he looked up at her.

"Yeah. We're done hiding." Cal responded as he looked at Kairi, before looking back at BD-1. "Hey uh… do you want to maybe meet… some friends of mine?" He asked as he stood back up.

BD-1 beeped and trilled happily before Kairi laughed at how the droid was excited to meet new people.

Before leaving, Kairi looked back at the scriptures on the wall as she was giving you a hard stare at it until she saw a flash of the Zeffo statues location somewhere else far away.

Somewhere, the sun was bright as the color of fire. 

Somewhere that place full of deadly creatures will attack if trespassing. 

And somewhere where people wore red which was a bold color and can hear someone chanting in a different language.

Feeling someone touching her shoulder, Kairi jumped back while pulling out her lightsaber as she turned around to see Cal holding his hands up in a defensive way.

"Whoa, Kairi. What has gotten into you?" Cal responded calmly as he kept his distance until Kairi put away her lightsaber.

"Sorry. I have been… jumpy lately since Bracca." Kairi apologized, before Cal gently placed his hand on her left shoulder while the two started walking out of the vault.

Unaware of the planet Kairi just saw with her eyes rolled back and even throughout the hints, she decided to brush it off after almost attacking Cal.


	7. The Incomplete Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Kairi returns to tell Cere about what happened at the vault, but when Kairi tries to use the Force again to open the holocron and after two tries, the 16 year old Jedi Padawan is forced to rest. What does this mean for Kairi? Is she truly a Jedi? Or is it something else?

"You've passed the test." Cere informed the two Jedi Padawans as they made it back from the vault with BD-1 latched onto Cal's back.

"I barely did anything." Kairi stated.

"Don't worry, I have many more tests for you." Cere responded.

"So, you knew about BD-1?" Cal asked.

"Come inside. We'll talk." Cere stated.

"Home sweet… Mantis?" Kairi responded as she came in without her boots on while making muddy footprints on the way in, before laying down on the couch.

"BD-1, this is Greez." Cal introduced as BD-1 climbed off his back and went over to where Kairi is and climbed onto the couch next to the 16 year old's dirt covered feet. "Hey, Greez." He greeted as the Latero looked at both Kairi and BD-1.

"Wait, what is she doing? And what is that?" Greez asked, while pointing to Kairi and BD-1.

Kairi and BD-1 looked at the Latero as the bi pedal droid beeped a few times.

"What, I got a hickey or something, Greez?" Kairi asked.

"Get off my sofa! Get! Get off! Where are you manners?! Take that droid with you!" Greez shouted as Kairi jumped up with her feet on the coach along with BD-1 running off it.

"What is wrong with you, old man?!" Kairi asked as she stood behind Cal, before BD-1 stood next to them.

"That is BD-1. He's with us now." Cal explained.

"I don't care what he is. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get dirt and oil off of potrolli-weave fabric?" Greez explained, before Kairi looked down at her feet as BD-1 was scanning them, causing her to smile.

"Not really." Cal answered as he was unsure.

"Well, I hope you've teached her some manners because she's cleaning up the dirt trail that she brought with her. And I hope you find something better than this droid." Greez responded before Cal sat down at the small steps which lead to the small kitchen area.

"Oh calm down, Greez. He did." Cere stated, before Kairi placed BD-1 down on the floor as the droid made his way over to where Cal is. "Tell us, Cal." She responded.

"The vault was built by an ancient civilization known as the Zeffo. A Jedi named Eno Cordova hid something in it." Cal explained, before Cere took a few steps forward as Kairi sat down on the floor next to Cal's feet.

"What did he hide inside?" Cere asked.

"A holocron from the archives. It is a list that contains the names and locations of Force sensitive children." Kairi answered, before her eyes widened to find Iris who was standing behind Cere.  _ 'Don't do anything stupid.'  _ She thought as she was keeping calm.

"The next generation of Jedi. I knew it! Ah, Cordova, you old fool!" Cere responded, as Kairi was keeping her eyes on Iris who was looking down at the muddy footprints that she tracked inside the Mantis.

"Wait, you know him?" Cal asked as he and Kairi looked up at Cere.

"Yes, I do. A long time ago, I was his apprentice. Cordova was a loner. And that little droid and I are probably the ones who know about Bogano." Cere explained as BD-1 was looking at Cal and Kairi who were doing the same thing to the bi pedal droid.

"Probably." Kairi responded.

"Hold on. Wait a minute. A holo-what?" Greez asked as he was confused.

"A holocron. It stores information that are only used by Jedi. Here. I have one with me somewhere." Cere explained as she looked at Greez, before coming back with a holocron in her hands. Cal and Kairi stood in front of Cere, before the older woman was looking at the younger Jedi Padawan who was amazed by a holocron looked. "Here, Kairi. Use the Force." She instructed after giving Kairi the holocron.

Having the holocron resting in the palms of her hands, Kairi was looking at it for a few seconds before closing her silver eyes. 

Breathing out slowly as she felt her purple rhombus symbol glowed when she was using the Force. 

Once she opened her eyes, Kairi noticed that the holocron did not open or even float in her hands which surprised her.

"Try again." Cal responded gently, knowing Kairi hasn't used the Force for a long time.

Kairi nodded after looking up at Cal.

She tried once more, but she nearly dropped the holocron as she felt dizzy and started leaning against the chair.

Cal's emerald green eyes widened as he caught her in his arms, before Kairi managed to put the holocron down on the table.

"I need to go sit down." Kairi responded as she sounded tired.

"Cal, has this happened before?" Cere asked.

"The last time she meditated was before the Purge. She felt sick around that time. But I don't get it…" Cal started to explain, before he looked down at Kairi who was blinking her eyes. "Kairi, you were just out there being yourself. Is there something you are not telling me?" He asked.

"I… I…" 

_ "Shhh. Let's talk alone." _

Kairi heard Iris' voice in her mind as she could detect that the Force Ghost version of her was not around for Cal, Cere or Greez to notice her.

She nodded slowly before looking at Cal.

"I need to rest my head." Kairi managed to say, before covering her eyes with her left hand as the lights of the Mantis made her eyes feel sensitive to it.

Cal nodded before he slowly led Kairi towards her bedroom which was the first room in the hallway on the left side.

"Poor kid. Life's not easy for her." Greez responded.

"You've only known her for a few seconds and you're worried about her, Captain? You were just yelling about her coming in with muddy feet." Cere asked.

"I understand that she and Cal are both Jedi, but somehow I can tell that those two have been through a lot. Plus, I didn't know that you've known Kairi since she was a little girl." Greez explained, before Cal returned at the last part.

"Is Kairi laying down?" Cere asked after noticing Cal's presence.

"She's resting her eyes again. There's something I want to ask you. No, two things I want to ask." Cal explained, before he sat down in front of Cere. "How long have you've known Kairi?" He asked the first question.

"I can't tell you much but… when Kairi was 2 years old, she was kidnapped from her parents. Her mother died. Her father and half of his clone troopers were the only survivors. Years later, she bumped into me as I was with my Master at the time. Cal… she has been neglected by her kidnapper." Cere explained, before remembering a 5 year old Kairi eating a bag of cookies, in a quick fast pace, not caring that she was making a mess.

_ 'Slow down, young one. You will end up sick from eating too much." Cere responded, before seeing that her sleeveless outfit was covered in dirt and her hair was damp by lake water. _

_ "I have a name, you know. It's Kairi. It means ocean village… Or was it melody?" The 5 year old mumbled with a full mouth as she looked at Cere. " Water?" She managed to ask, before Cere gave Kairi her water canteen... _

"And she's safe here with us right? Her kidnapper is gone forever?" Greez asked, before he started looking through the kitchen to try and fix up something to eat for everyone.

"I'm sure of it." Cere responded as she hesitated about it.

"One more question. How come you cut yourself off from the Force?"

"I had an experience… which changed my perspective about it." Cere answered as she didn't know how to explain it at first.

"And yet you want to restore the Order?" Cal asked.

"Cal, I believe that you can have the chance to rebuild what was once lost forever and be restored." Cere explained.

"What about Kairi? Can she do something about it? She's a Jedi too." Cal asked.

"Even though she's a Jedi. But the Force is not strong with her. That's why I wasn't sure about her at the moment." Cere explained.

"What does she have to do?" Cal asked.

* * *

After creating a meditation circle in the corner of her room, Kairi managed to crawl inside of it before getting on her knees and closing her eyes. 

As she closed her eyes, Kairi could feel the Force around her as the desk and her bed started to shake before slowly rising up from the floor until… the sounds of blaster bullets and her younger self screams scared her out of her concentration.

The desk and the bed slammed down against the floor causing her to jump while looking around. Feeling her own heartbeat, Kairi heard Cal's voice from outside the room before he ran inside to see her on the floor.

"Cal, I'm-" Kairi started to say, before Cal immediately pulled her into a hug causing Kairi's silver eyes to widen in shock. "Uhh… What are you doing?" She asked as she was blushing, knowing that it wasn't like Cal to hug her out of nowhere.

"Sorry. I heard you screaming and I got worried." Cal apologized, as he stood back up as Kairi remained on the floor.

"I'm okay, Cal. I just… need to focus my mind." Kairi stated, before Cal nodded. "And… thanks for checking on me." She responded, before giving Cal a small smile.

Cal smiled back before he left her alone.

Returning back to the meditation circle, Kairi closed her eyes as she felt the Force when her forehead symbol glowed while fighting through her younger self's screams along with the blaster bullets missing her… until everything felt quiet around her.

She felt like she was in peace with the Force again, before feeling a hand resting on her right shoulder. 

Slowly opening her eyes, Kairi heard a woman's voice from behind before seeing Iris wearing a sleeveless red and black Jedi robes, as a green kyber crystal necklace stood out around her neck.

"Kairi. I'm glad you can join me." Iris responded as she had her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Iris. What is this? I mean, where are we?" Kairi asked as she stood up and looked around to see that she wasn't in her room on the Stinger Mantis, but somehow in her own mind.

"This is what I like to call a meditation training place. But it's your mind, young one." Iris answered as Kairi was looking around it and to her surprise, the young Jedi Padawan wasn't thinking of anything when it comes to meditating.

"Okay… But why here? Why did you want to talk to me?" Kairi asked, before a holocron appeared in front of her, until it gently landed in her hands.

"It's because of this." Iris stated as she took it out of Kairi's hands by using the Force. "I can use the Force to access it since I'm a Jedi. But you, my child, you cannot." She explained as the holocron opened up and it showed a distorted hologram of a Jedi Master with two lightsabers who was fighting against a Sith who had a double sided lightsaber.

"... Run! Take our child and go to… Give up, my former Padawan! You won't win this!" Rin Sotah's voice was heard as Kairi and Iris can see him and the Padawan who turned to the dark side clashed their lightsabers at the same time.

"... ruined everything! You just had to go against the rules! You've married a… who uses Dark Magik and got her pregnant!" The Former Padawan roared, before Iris turned off the holocron as it landed in her left hand.

"Master…" Kairi responded quietly as she never saw this side of her late master.

"You weren't his first. He had another Padawan before you. He turned to the Dark Side before he couldn't control his emotions as a Jedi." Iris explained, before she made the holocron disappear. 

"I won't let that happen. My emotions won't get in my way. All I have to do is train and meditate." Kairi responded as she felt determined.

"Actually… you with the Force doesn't work like that. Your training is different." Iris explained. 

"What do you mean? I am a Jedi right?" Kairi asked as she was confused.

"You are.. but only half of it." Iris answered. 

"Half of a Jedi?" Kairi asked once more as she was confused.

"From what General Rin Sotah taught you, he only taught you the arts of a Jedi. Henceforth, your training is incomplete." Iris explained.

"Incomplete?! But I remember everything from being trained. I read books, I master some of the fighting techniques, but why is it incomplete?" Kairi asked as she was shocked, before looking down at her hands.

"With Cal, he hasn't done anything with his training since the Purge. He will regain it back some way. It's the same with you. But there's an obstacle in your path to make you be a Jedi. I once faced it too. It wasn't the Dark Side." Iris responded as she pulled out her lightsaber from Kairi's belt by using the Force.

"An obstacle?" Kairi asked as she looked back at the silver haired woman.

"Yes. I'll give you a hint. Remember what I said to you that the truth is always in the Force?" Iris questioned, before Kairi nodded. "You must unlock parts of your past somehow. Since you are on a quest to rebuild the Jedi Order, maybe you can get it all back during your journey. But I will tell you this… the next ability is something that you will remember. It's something General Rin Sotah told you to never use unless it's an emergency or in the middle of a battlefield." She explained before she gave Kairi her lightsaber back.

"Was that a prediction?" Kairi asked, before she switched on the lightsaber as a green blade glowed from it.

"It's part of the truth." Iris stated.

"The truth is in the Force." Kairi repeated Iris's quote before closing her eyes.

Kairi opened her eyes to see that she was still inside of her meditation circle in her room, before feeling the warmth of a blanket that was covering her shoulders and arms. 

Sighing quietly as she held the lightsaber in her hands, Kairi closed her eyes once more before hearing Iris's voice.

_ "Remember, Kairi… Face the truth and accept it."  _


	8. The Zeffo Homeworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving on the first planet to start their adventure, Cal and Kairi had a rocky start which will somehow awaken Kairi's hidden ability that Iris mentioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And hey, did you know it's been a year since Jedi Fallen Order came out?

When Kairi finally walked out of her bedroom, Cal and Cere briefed her on what will be happening for now, since they were concerned about her reconnection with the Force. But Kairi repeatedly told them that she would be okay after what had happened between her and the holocron earlier. 

With it out of the way, the crew were on their way to their first stop which is the planet Zeffo.

Arriving above the planet after jumping out of hyperspace, the crew can see a storm brewing down below.

"There's a storm down below. This may not be the perfect time to land." Greez stated as Kairi was using her left hand to hold her lightsaber while drawing it in her journal, since she was still under a protective eye.

"Something's strange. Those winds are interfering with our comms." Cere responded as Kairi looked up for a few seconds, before shading in her lightsaber drawing.

"Hey, Cordova mentioned something about peace in the eye of the storm. Well I can just make out a settlement in the middle of it." Cal explained before Kairi put away her journal before standing behind Cal and Greez.

"Then we have to get there." Cere responded.

"Copy that." Greez replied as Kairi had her hands on the back of Cal's seat. "Jeez, kid. You've scared me there." He responded after seeing the 16 year old who was finally standing up.

"Sorry." Kairi apologized.

"Go sit back down, Kairi." Cal responded.

"But I'm boooored!" Kairi whined as she pouted, before she felt the Mantis taking in turbulence as Cal and Kairi held onto the chair.

"Couple bumps ain't going to hurt you. Not unless the wind picks up… You okay, peanut?" Greez responded as he quietly said the last part, which BD-1 and Cal heard.

"Peanut?!" Kairi asked as she felt offended.

BD-1 beeped a few times as Cal and Kairi looked at him.

"Can you tell that bucket of bolts to keep his opinion to himself?" Greez responded.

"At least I'm not little to him." Kairi muttered with her arms crossed.

"You okay, Kai?" Cal asked as he looked at her from behind.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to get off the Mantis already." Kairi stated before she held onto Cal's chair with both hands.

"Alright, alright, hold on. Hold on!" Greez responded as Cal and Kairi looked back at the Latero who was landing the ship in the middle of the storm. 

Everyone was holding on as they waited for Greez to land before he finally did which was a little bit rough, causing Kairi to fall down.

"Oww!" Kairi moaned, before standing back up.

"Ha! Perfect landing. Greezy money, baby." Greez responded while Kairi was rubbing her behind before walking away from the front of the Mantis.

"But I'm still getting a lot of interference on the comms. It's going to take a minute to get them back up." Cere explained.

"Me and Kairi will search for signs for Cordova in the meantime." Cal responded as he stood up from his seat while BD-1 climbed onto his back while Greez let down the ramp.

Kairi was the first one to step out of the Mantis as she could feel the cold sprinkling rain and wind blowing through her hair. A smile curled up on Kairi as she went on ahead and looked around the hangar area where the crew landed before Cal was stopped by Cere who called on him.

"Listen, I'm still worried about Kairi. You better keep an eye on her." Cere stated.

"Kairi is doing just fine. She looks better already. All she needed to do was meditate." Cal explained as BD-1 turned to his left to see Kairi who had her tongue out to taste the cold sprinkling rain.

"I know. But this is not normal for any other Jedi. Even though Rin Sotah had her as his Padawan, I believe that he is hiding something about her. I'm not saying this just to offend her, Cal. Don't tell her this." Cere responded.

"I won't, Cere." Cal stated.

"Cal, BD-1, come on!" Kairi called out from outside.

"You better get going. Remember what I said." Cere responded.

After leaving the Mantis, Cal saw Kairi coming towards the 19 year old Jedi Padawan with a brown and white oversized poncho that she was wearing over her small body.

"Look what I found… But it's too big for me." Kairi responded with a smile.

Cal smiled back before Kairi removed it off of her and decided to put it on him instead.

"Now, you look like a Jedi, Cal." Kairi responded as Cal looked at the design, before agreeing with the younger Jedi. 

"Maybe I should find you one next time. How about a pink one?" Cal suggested.

"Eww, I don't like pink." Kairi replied as she was disgusted about the color choice. "I like red, blue and purple, those are my favorites, Cal." She explained.

"You are one funny girl for a Jedi." Cal responded as he chuckled.

"I'm not that silly. Tell him, BD." Kairi responded before looking at the bi pedal droid with her arms crossed.

BD-1 beeped and trilled as he disagreed with Kairi, leaving a pouting face on the younger Jedi Padawan as Cal laughed at Kairi's reaction.

"One day, If we really find a pink poncho, I'm burning it in front of you." Kairi stated, before the two started walking towards the hanger garage as they saw locked crates which half were from the Zeffo homeworld and some from the Empire.

BD-1 jumped off Cal's back and began to scan them.

"He's such a curious little droid." Kairi responded, before BD-1 beeped happily as jumped back on Cal's back, causing the 16 year old Jedi Padawan to pat his head.

"Good job, BD-1." Cal complimented, before heading towards the door on the north side of the garage which he found out that it was locked on the other side.

But when he started walking away from it, Cal can hear a few blasters firing off before putting his ear towards the door.

"Someone else attacked it?!"

"Kill the beast!"

Stormtroopers were on the other side of the door as Cal thought the planet was abandoned for quite some time, but it looks like the Empire had caught up with them. 

"Cal? You okay?" Kairi asked as she was concerned while looking back at the open chest where she found the poncho to start looking for scrap parts.

"Yeah. I'm alright. We should get going, Kai. The door's locked." Cal answered as he walked away from the locked door and stood next to Kairi once she was done looking through the chest.

The two left the hangar garage as they found a path which could lead around it, until they both could see that there were two creatures fighting over a Stormtrooper's dead body with their sharp teeth.

"Oh my. That's something you don't see everyday." Kairi responded as she continued watching the two creatures fighting over the dead body.

Cal walked ahead as he was balancing on a beam before he made it to the other side with Kairi behind him. 

Pulling out his lightsaber, Kairi did the same as well before running alongside with the ginger haired Jedi Padawan. 

"Watch out you two. They don't look very friendly." Cal warned before BD-1 stayed low behind his back as Kairi kicked one of them in the face, causing the creature to jump back.

Cal was taking care of the other one, before it snarled and jumped towards him, nearly getting Kairi in the head with its teeth.

"Be careful, Kairi!" Cal exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I got this." Kairi responded as she only looked away for a few seconds until the creature that was she fighting with, launched himself toward the younger Jedi Padawan closed its teeth around her right hand and lightsaber. "Let go!" She retorted, before she won the small tug of war and sliced the creature's head off.

Breathing in and out through her mouth, Kairi turned to face Cal who had already taken out the other one with an overhead slice.

"You okay?" Cal asked, before checking on her right hand.

"Yeah. He didn't bite me. What about you?" Kairi questioned back, as BD-1 started scanning the dead creatures to find out that they were called Spazz Rats.

"It's you that I'm worried about it. Are you sure? Nothing bleeding or whatever?" Cal asked as he checked over Kairi to make sure that her clothes weren't ripped or torn off during the fight.

"I'm fine, Cal. You cannot be this worried about me. I can handle it. See?" Kairi responded before tossing her lightsaber up in the air, and she caught it while putting it up. "Still the same Kairi. Aahh!" She stated, before her foot accidentally stepped onto the dead Stormtrooper's body, causing her to scream out loud, thinking that it came out of the ground.

"Yeah. That's something I can agree on." Cal responded as he laughed, after when Kairi ran and hid behind the ginger haired Jedi.

"Can it, Kestis!" Kairi spatted as she had her blushing and pouting at the same time while looking down at the dead Stormtrooper's body which BD-1 already scanned.

_ "Cal? Kairi? Can you hear me?" _ Cere's voice was heard from both of the Jedi's comm links, before Kairi turned the volume down on hers.

"Loud and clear." Kairi answered.

"The Empire. They found Zeffo." Cal responded as he and Kairi were looking around for another way.

_ "If they would have found us. They would have been swarming the Mantis by now." _ Cere explained as Cal started walking ahead.

When Kairi started to walk, she can hear a faint beeping noise coming from the ground. As she stopped walking, Kairi slowly got down onto the ground while having her left ear listening out to where it was coming from.

"Could they be looking for the-" Cal started to say as Kairi can hear the beeping noise getting faster until… a loud explosion was heard causing Cal to yell out in pain and BD-1 trilled in fright.

As Kairi moved away, she caught BD-1 who landed in her arms before checking on the bi pedal droid who immediately latched onto her. 

"You okay, BD? That scared you, didn't it?" Kairi asked as she was looking for Cal within the dust. 

BD-1 trilled as Kairi kept him close.

_ "Kairi? Cal! What happened?!" _ Cere called out as she can hear Cal's comm link nearby before she found the 19 year old Jedi Padawan laying face down in the dirt along with a few dead Spazz Rats.

"Cal? Are you okay? Cal!" Kairi cried loudly while turning his body over…

**_20 BBY..._ **

_ "Padawan. What do you Jedi Healers like you do if we were in the middle of a battlefield where one of our Jedi comrades were down?" Rin Sotah questioned as 10 year old Kairi had her lightsaber out after deflecting a few blaster bullets at the clone troopers who were wounded. _

_ "Immediately run to them and take care of them?" Kairi answered. _

_ "Almost. But first, you must investigate the situation first. If the enemy is down, look around to find a safe area and take care of the wounded. Do not abuse this special power, Kairi. This is part of your training." Rin Sotah explained after fixing his black face mask. _

_ Kairi nodded after putting away her lightsaber while looking around the training area for anyone who could probably attack her. Once she found out that the area was clear, Kairi ran to the nearest clone trooper before dragging him behind cover. _

_ "Where does it hurt?" Kairi asked. _

_ The clone trooper pointed to his arm before Kairi had her hands hovering above the wound as she closed her eyes. When her forehead symbol glowed, Kairi opened her eyes to see magik coming out her hands to heal the clone trooper's arm. _

_ "Thank you, Kairi." The clone trooper responded after Kairi let him move his arm. _

_ "Stay here." Kairi stated, before investigating the area once again as another one of the clone troopers started firing his blaster at the 10 year old. _

_ Hiding behind cover before running out of it, Kairi pulled out her lightsaber as she managed to deflect back the blaster bullets in different directions before heading towards the second cover on her left side. _

_ "Good, Kairi. Now, one question. If someone like you is down in the field, what do you do?" Rin Sotah asked as he kept his blue eyes on Kairi who was behind the second cover. _

_ "Stay behind cover and alert others for help." Kairi responded.  _

_ "In this case, you can heal on your own. But it will take time. Sometimes the Force may not allow you to heal if you fear death. Do not fear. Feel the Force around you. And I'm sure that your healing magik can work…" _

**Present Time**

"Do not fear. Feel the Force around you. And your special ability may work…" Kairi whispered as she had her hands hovering over Cal's chest.

BD-1 beeped in confusion as he was looking at Kairi and back at her hands.

"Shhhh…" Kairi shushed the bi pedal droid quietly as he shined a light on Cal.

Her silver eyes were closed as Kairi used the Force to reawaken her healing ability. As she can hear the silence of her being inside of the small cave, Kairi felt the Force coming to her once her forehead symbol started to glow along with her hands. 

Opening her eyes which appeared a glowing green color, Kairi concertaited on Cal while BD-1 was shining a light down onto Cal's face, before hearing small moans escaping the older Jedi Padawan's mouth.

Cal slowly opened his emerald green eyes as his vision was blurry at first, before it became much clearer. Kairi was the first person who he saw after blinking his eyes a few times as he can tell that Kairi was healing him.

The ginger haired Jedi Padawan looked down at his chest to see Kairi's small hands that were covered in a green glow which was strange for Cal to see. 

But somehow, he knew that wasn't the Force.

It was something more… dark.

As he was slowly healing, Cal reached out and rested his hand on Kairi's cheek, which made her break out of her healing trance with her silver eyes widened in shock.

"Cal?" Kairi responded quietly, as she was still in shock to feel his hand touching her check. 

It wasn't something that Cal had never done before. 

It felt different. 

His hand was warm and the side of her face gently rested upon it, causing her to smile inside before feeling his thumb rubbing her cheek and his long fingers touching her ear.

Feeling something cold touching her earlobe, Kairi remembered that she had one of her blue teardrop earrings on her right ear as Cal lightly touched it.

"How… how do you feel?" Kairi asked.

Cal removed his hand from Kairi's face, before he slowly raised his upper body with the 16 year old's help.

"What happened? I was just talking to Cere and then…" Cal started to explain as he noticed that they were in the dark cave near the hanger garage.

"The Empire had thermal bombs planted underneath. I managed to drag you inside. But I had to use the Force to help me." Kairi explained.

"What was that, Kairi? That wasn't the Force… It felt different. Something more dark." Cal asked while having his hand on his chest where his poncho and chest armor was covering it.

"When I was a Youngling… I found out that I have this gift to heal. I think I told Master Yoda about it and he was surprised by it. Or maybe… you probably remember how some of the other Younglings were bullying me about it." Kairi explained as she gently helped Cal put his poncho on.

"They should have never teased you for that. It's a gift." Cal responded before Kairi looked down at her small hands.

"Yeah. I guess so." Kairi replied, before she helped Cal stand up until they heard BD-1 beeping from above. They can see him standing on top of a crate as he was telling the two Jedi to meet up with him. "Okay, we're coming, BD." She responded as Kairi used her lightsaber to illuminate the path that BD-1 took inside of the cave, before she noticed that Cal stopped following her.

"Cal?" Kairi responded quietly as she noticed that Cal was getting an echo from the ripped up fabric.

"A mother used the fabric to keep her child warm. They were on the run from something." Cal explained as he stood up and faced Kairi.

"I hope they're okay. The mother and the baby. Is there a possibility we might get to meet them?" Kairi asked as Cal followed the young Jedi.

"Could be. This planet has been abandoned for so long. It probably belongs to the Empire." Cal answered, before they were climbing up the platforms until they saw BD-1 on top of a stim crate.

"Hey, a stim crate." Kairi responded as BD-1 chirped in agreement.

"Wait, can you carry more?" Cal asked after picking up a stim.

BD-1 beeped in agreement, before he pulled out a small tray for Cal to place the stim inside.

"Thanks, BD-1." Cal responded after closing the small tray.

BD-1 trilled happily before jumping back onto Cal's back.

"So, me and BD-1 have the healing touch?" Kairi asked.

"You are correct. But for now, we're going to stims. We will only use your healing ability in case of an emergency." Cal explained after jumping down.

"Alright then." Kairi responded before following Cal out of the cave. 

As Kairi followed Cal, she remembered how Iris told her that her special ability from the Force could come in handy during the adventure, knowing that she was still a Jedi Padawan. But to her knowledge, Kairi was less experienced since its been 5 years when her master died and only knew so little in only two years of her training. Deep down, she wishes to know more about herself but the time will come when Iris believes that she is ready.

Making it to the other side of the hanger garage, Kairi immediately pulled out her lightsaber as she saw a few Spazz Rats sauntering away.

"Here, I got this." Kairi responded before walking ahead of Cal until the ginger haired Jedi Padawan heard a few blaster bullets firing.

"Kairi, no!" Cal called out before pulling Kairi back when he used his lightsaber to deflect a blaster bullet back at one of the Stormtroopers who noticed Kairi.

"Enemy spotted!"

"We just lost one!" 

Kairi was in shock as she didn't know that there were Stormtroopers ahead as her widened eyes went to Cal's green ones.

"Stay here." Cal informed before he walked out from behind the building and started deflecting the blaster bullets back at the rest of the Stormtroopers while Kairi watched.

Once the coast was clear, Kairi walked out of cover and stood next to Cal while putting away her lightsaber.

"You have to be more careful, Kai. You could have been killed." Cal explained as Kairi looked up at him.

"I know. It's just been… so long. Deep down, those troopers used to help us. And now, they worked for the Empire. I wish there was some way I can change them." Kairi explained, before looking down at her hands.

"I don't think your healing hands would work on them. Of course, it did save me." Cal responded, as Kairi was still looking down at her hands.

"Yeah… I could have Prauf back on Bracca, Cal…" Kairi whispered before covering up her ears, hearing Prauf's last words in her mind along with her and Cal's yelling towards their fallen friend who acted like a father figure to them. "Prauf, no!" She cried as she quickly fell to her knees with her eyes closed.

Cal immediately got on his knees and started comforting the 16 year old Jedi Padawan by rubbing her back and even whispering quietly to her after when her sobbing stopped.

When she opened her eyes, her arms immediately went around Cal as she hid her face in his chest.

"Listen, it was never your fault. We all make mistakes in life, Kairi. We have to learn to move on from the past. We can't stay in the past forever. We have to think about the future. Think about our freedom. Think about the Force Sensitive children on the list who could probably stop the Empire. Kairi… this is our only chance." Cal explained as he rubbed Kairi's back before BD-1 rested his head on top of Kairi's short black hair in a comforting way.

_ 'Kairi… if I was to ever leave you defenseless without a lightsaber or not have you as my Padawan anymore, what would you do?' Rin Sotah asked after calming down once he found Young Kairi who was outside of her room on the ship. _

_ 'You won't leave me, Master Sotah. I heard you have a soft heart. Master Kenboi told me about how you fought off a Jedi turned Sith who used to be a Padawan of yours. And beside, I know deep down you went through so much. Even losing an eye and your left arm during the Clone Wars, I still think you're a great Master to have.' Young Kairi explained as she was watering her terrarium without looking back at Rin Sotah. _

_ "Is that so?" Rin Sotah asked. _

_ "Yeah. Back at the Jedi Temple, I was bullied because of my healing ability and my shyness. Until I've met Cal Kestis. I hope one day me and him will go on an adventure once we become Jedi Knights." Kairi responded before pulling out a packet of Jogan fruit seeds. _

_ "Padawan. We've talked about this. You cannot have attachments. Those are the rules of a Jedi. Those who have broken the rules will be expelled from the Jedi Order. And those who are expelled will be shamed. No Padawan of mine will not do that. Understand?" Rin Sotah explained as Kairi was making a small hole to put the Jogan fruit seed in before pouring water over them. _

_ "Yes… Yes, Master." Kairi responded quietly as she felt disappointed... _

Kairi let Cal go as she stood up and started walking again.

As Kairi was walking behind Cal, she was looking up at him as the wind went through his ginger red hair before hiding her blushing face with both hands on her cheeks.

_ "I don't know why I care about Cal so much in the past. I can't have attachments. It could lead to fear, hate, anger and suffering. But… what is this shy feeling I have when I'm around him? Master Sotah… Iris… what is this called?" _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In different planets that Cal and Kairi go through, they will be separated into 2 or 3 chapters depending how I want it to be. Like the next chapter will start off at the abandoned village and end off at the windswept ruins while I created different conversations for the two and including BD-1 to gave.
> 
> So, what do you think of Kairi's awaken ability? Cal believes that its not from the Force? But what do you think it is? A gift or a curse? Or something else?


	9. The Abandoned Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Kairi's journey on Zeffo continues...

"Think I saw a Jotaz been here." One Stormtrooper responded as another one was next to him having a conversation.

"All you did was run away."

"Not while it was chasing me."

"At least you wouldn't die a coward."

"If I didn't, it would have caught me."

Quietly sitting down above a hill, Cal and Kairi were surveying the area in which the Empire had taken over Zeffo and its abandoned village. They can see multiple stormtroopers with their blaster guns and electro batons ready to use if unwanted visitors show up.

Cal nodded at Kairi before the younger Jedi Padawan did the same, until she used her ability to make them invisible after when she touched Cal's left shoulder.

"Some noise-" One of the Stormtroopers started to say after turning around when he heard a lightsaber switching on, until Cal and Kairi jumped from above and took down the two Stormtroopers.

Cal ran ahead as Kairi was tailing behind him while having their lightsabers in their right hands before more of the Stormtroopers saw them when the invisible ability wore out.

"It's the Jedi!" One of the announced as the tone of their voice sounded frightened.

"There's two of them?!" A second one asked as he got his electro baton ready, but he stayed away which caught Kairi's attention.

Her silver eyes narrowed at him as she could feel him shaking in fear once her eyes landed on him. Running towards him as Cal was parrying the first one, Kairi jumped up and kicked the second Stormtrooper in his chest with both of her feet, causing him to fall down.

"Is… is that all you got?!" The second Stormtrooper asked while he got up slowly, before running towards the younger Jedi Padawan and started swinging his baton.

"Kairi!" Cal called out as he alerted Kairi when another Stormtrooper came around the corner with his blaster gun.

"I see you!" The third one yelled out before shooting the Jedi Padawans who quickly blocked the blaster shots.

Kairi did two backflips as she kept her distance away from the second Stormtrooper, before pulling the third one with her pull ability and stabbing him through his armor and body.

"That's one. Make that two." Kairi responded after seeing Cal rolled over a Stormtrooper's body and swinging his lightsaber at him, killing him in an instant.

"I guess it's just me now." The last Stormtrooper responded to himself before he decided to charge towards Cal and Kairi, until the ginger haired Jedi Padawan slowed him down.

Kairi smirked before kicking the Stormtrooper's helmet causing him to be launched away from the two, knocking him out when his helmet hit against the house. Walking towards the unconscious Stormtrooper, Kairi stabbed him in the chest with Iris' lightsaber before removing it.

"Anymore of them?" Kairi asked.

"No. I think that's all of them." Cal answered after listening to the silence of the wind without hearing the nearby voices of any Stormtroopers.

"Good. I need a break. My arm's starting to hurt." Kairi stated as she had both of her arms behind her head with her head resting against her hands.

"You've barely fought and you're already tired?" Cal questioned as Kairi walked towards him while BD-1 was scanning the dead Stormtrooper's bodies.

"Hey, it's been 5 years since… that day. We have to learn how to endure and survive, Kestis." Kairi explained as her hands were clasped together behind her back. "Hey, can I tell you something? I don't know where my life would be if we didn't meet each back at Coruscant." She responded.

"Why do you say that?" Cal asked.

"Because all my life I believe that was just normal. But there's something about me being a Jedi that makes me different. I just don't know what it is yet." Kairi explained as she pulled out Iris' lightsaber.

"Yeah. Me neither. Quick question… if you were not a Force sensitive person, where would you be today? Like what would you like to be?" Cal asked, as Kairi switched her lightsaber on as she decided to stare directly at the glowing green blade.

"Uh… that's tough. Maybe working as a nurse. Or a sweet cook. No, maybe a rebel fighter. But when I was a Youngling… I wanted to be a singer." Kairi answered while putting away her lightsaber, before confessing the last part which sounded embarrassing to her, but to Cal, he was smiling at her.

"A singer? Can you sing something for me?" Cal asked, as Kairi was looking at her own reflection at the small puddle of water before seeing Iris who appeared behind her.

"Not a chance." Kairi rejected.

"I'll sing with you." Cal stated as he tried to press her buttons on making her sing.

"The only song you've known is _Black Thunder_ by The Hu." Kairi explained as she started walking away when BD-1 started scanning a sign that was posted on an abandoned house.

"I'll hum it with you." Cal responded with a small smile, as he walked towards Kairi.

"Nice try, Mr. Kestis. But my answer is no." Kairi responded as she smirked to herself.

"Kairi Jabami… Please?" Cal asked once more before Kairi looked at him when BD-1 jumped onto her back, until he pouted showing big pouting eyes, which is a face that the younger Jedi Padawan cannot ignore… but she did.

"Never!" Kairi answered.

"You're no fun." Cal responded, before Kairi stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

As the two were exploring the village, Cal found a force echo where there was a mother and a father who were quickly packing their bags, but the father was telling the mother to take their child and run away before the Empire took them away.

But they faced the consequences by being forced out of their home which caused the father to fight back to make sure his wife and child got to safety away from the Empire.

"The Empire just wanted this land. Everything is all lies." Cal explained.

BD-1 chirped in a sad tone, after jumping onto Cal's back when he scanned an eviction notice.

"Kairi, what do you think?" Cal asked as he stood up.

He waited for her response, but when he turned to his right, the short haired Jedi Padawan was not next to him at the moment.

"Kairi?" Cal called out while looking around for her.

"Where did you come from?!"

"Aaah! Cal, help!" Kairi cried loudly as Cal's emerald green eyes widened in shock.***

When Cal heard her frightened voice, he immediately started running towards Kairi's location as she was behind one of the houses, blocking each strike of an Eletro Baton Stormtrooper who caught her by surprise.

Once Kairi saw Cal running towards them, she immediately pushed the Stormtrooper away before getting out of the way and started catching her breath.

BD-1 jumped off and walked towards Kairi, popping a healing stim into her shoulder before Kairi looked back at the bi pedal droid, thanking him as she stood back up.

When Cal defeated the Stormtrooper, he immediately ran over to Kairi to check on her.

"I'm fine, Cal. Just a little winded." Kairi responded as she wanted to brush it off before BD-1 jumped onto her back.

"Just a little? Kairi, why did you walk away from me?" Cal asked as he wanted to know why she decided to break one of their survival rules which was to never be alone.

"I saw something I need. It was just some fresh Zeffo grass." Kairi responded before lifting it up in her left hand to show the fresh damp grass until she put it in her side bag. "I'm collecting stuff that I need to make something." She explained.

"And what is this something?" Cal asked, before Kairi pulled out her journal and started writing down her thoughts which the page was titled _'Planet Zeffo'_.

"A memory book. Master Sotah never let me see the outside world of each planet. So, I need stuff to add in my book. You can also help. Anything helps." Kairi explained as she finished drawing a small picture of BD-1 and a healing stim.

BD-1 trilled and chirped happily as he saw a picture of him, which Kairi smiled.

"Yep, that's you." Kairi responded before quickly closing the book when Cal tried to look in it. "But not for the nosey eyes of a Jedi." She warned, before poking Cal's nose.

"First, no to your singing and now your journal?" Cal asked while rubbing his nose.

"My life is not an open book, Cal." Kairi responded, before putting her journal away.

"And our survival means something, Kairi. Do not walk away from me again. You know that we can't be alone. We don't know what could happen if one of us were separated." Cal explained.

"Alright then." Kairi responded after rolling her eyes.

 _'I wish you would stop treating me like a baby, Cal. I'm 16 years old! I know how to cut my own meat and even cook my own meals!'_ Kairi thought to herself as she had her arms crossed, while BD-1 was staring at her, before turning back to Cal who was walking ahead, knowing that the bi pedal droid was worried about his two owners.

* * *

As they managed to find a way to make it to the rooftop of the houses, they found another way to make it back to the Mantis by finding a door which leads back to the hangar garage when Cal opened it.

Making a mental note of it, Cal and Kairi continue on their adventure walk around Zeffo to find the first clue to Eno Cordova's quest.

 _"Kioku no katasumi ni… Koe ga mada nokotteru."_ Kairi sang quietly as they were inside of the turbine facility, which surprised Cal when he heard her voice echoing.

Kairi giggled to herself quietly as a smile appeared on her face, before Cal turn around to face her, but he missed catching her in the act.

"Was that you?" Cal asked.

"No. It's probably the wind." Kairi lied as she was looking away while blushing.

Cal smirked to himself, before walking ahead as Kairi was doing a shushing motion to BD-1, telling him not to say anything.

BD-1 beeped once as Kairi started following Cal until he turned on the lights of the cave.

Once he made it outside, there was a Stormtrooper who was guarding his post while looking in the opposite direction, unaware that Cal and Kairi were behind him.

"Wait." Kairi whispered as she felt a vibration from underneath the ground when Cal was just about to pull out his lightsaber. "Watch this." She whispered, before pulling out a bag of cookies which was in her bag, until Cal had taken a few in his hand after when Kairi quietly opened the snack size bag.

Throwing a couple at the Stormtrooper's back armor plates, it caught his attention.

"What?!" He asked himself as he turned around and saw Cal and Kairi, but unaware that a Spazz Rat was digging himself out of the ground and attacked him.

When the Stormtrooper was out of the way, Kairi used Force push as the Spazz Rat was pushed over the cliff.

"See? Easy work." Kairi responded as Cal was still munching.

"But that's not the Jedi way, Kairi. We always use our lightsabers to defend ourselves." Cal explained after finished eating.

"I just thought of a different way for us not to get hurt. Don't worry, I won't do it again." Kairi responded as she put away the bag, until two more Spazz Rats jumped out of their holes and attacked Kairi.

Screaming in shock, Kairi quickly used Force Push on both of the rats as they fell off the cliff. Breathing in and out through her mouth, Kairi straightened herself out before turning towards Cal.

"See? Under control." Kairi stated, before having her hands on her hips.

Walking towards the ledge, Cal and Kairi took turns by using the Force as they jumped from one platform to another to make it to the other side of the mountain. When Kairi made it, she nearly slipped off by Cal quickly using his protective instinct and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to his body.

Kairi's silver eyes began to widen in shock when Cal had his hands around her waist which made her heartbeat echo in her mind.

"You've nearly scared me, Kai." Cal responded gently as Kairi kept staring at Cal's emerald green ones.

"Uh… yeah. Thank you." Kairi responded quietly, as she gently pulled herself away from Cal's chest when she almost rested her head against his chest, smelling his masculine scent. "Uh, Cal?!" She called out in an alarming tone.

"Now, that's going to be a problem." Cal stated after turning around to see another creature running towards them, before charging at them at a fast pace. Quickly jumping out of the way, the creature immediately rammed into Cal's chest, causing him to be thrown back.

When Cal's lightsaber was tossed out of his hand, Kairi immediately ran towards it while avoiding the creature's charging attack towards the younger Jedi Padawan and immediately took the lightsaber in her left hand.

But suddenly, her eyes were rolled back as she was staring up at the Zeffo sky, before seeing a fainted silhouette that was holding two different lightsabers. One lightsaber in the left hand was blue and the other one was green, until she heard Cal's yelling along with the sounds of a lightsaber swooshing and clashing together.

When Kairi snapped out of it, the creature was standing in front of her as it was breathing heavily throughout its nose. Cal and BD-1 were looking back at Kairi as she was calm, while holding two lightsabers in her hands without the creature in front of her being hostile.

Switching the lightsabers off, Kairi put hers away before tossing Cal's back towards him which he caught.

Kairi gently put her hands on it's horn, before resting her head against it.

_"You're such a sweet Phillak. Yes you are."_

A woman's voice was heard in Kairi's mind as she can barely recognize it. She probably had heard of this woman's voice in her mind, but cannot tell who it is.

"Go. Be free." Kairi whispered as her purple forehead symbol glowed, until the creature backed away and walked away from her, minding its own business.

"What was that? That was not the Force." Cal asked after walking back towards Kairi.

"Actually, I think it was. Cal… There was this woman who had two lightsabers. And somehow, I know her. But she wasn't a Padawan. More like a Jedi Knight… I think she is part of my past." Kairi explained, before smiling at the end.

Cal smiled back before ruffling her short black hair.

"Hey!" Kairi protested.

"You were always the weird one growing up." Cal stated.

"I'm not weird, Kestis!" Kairi protested once again.

After making it around the mountain, Cal and Kairi both saw the Phillak from earlier attack the Stormtroopers as it got rid of most of them before it got killed by a Stormtrooper who was holding a rocket launcher.

"Hostile approaching!" The last Stormtrooper called out before he tried to reload, until Kairi pulled him towards her to use her lightsaber to stab him in the chest.

After putting down the dead Stormtrooper, Kairi walked back to the dead Phillak and gently got down on her knees.

"Rest in peace. You were such a great help." Kairi whispered before gently closing the Phillak's eyes with her hands.

BD-1 beeped as he was asking Kairi if she was going to be okay.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm surprised that it helps us out instead of trying to kill us." Kairi responded as she stood back up.

"Just don't get too friendly with them, okay?" Cal stated as he helped Kairi climb up.

"Alright." Kairi responded flatly.

Arriving at the Weathered Monument of Zeffo, Cal and Kairi were looking around after taking out the Stormtroopers as the 19 year old Jedi Padawan noticed that the father who is named Ostkar had died protecting his wife Mirenna and his daughter, Sienna from the Empire as they walked inside the fan.

"He will be missed." Kairi whispered.

"He didn't want his wife or daughter to be sold off to the Empire or to be at a work camp. He fought for their freedom. He took that chance." Cal explained, before Kairi found another path which was next to the giant fan where they found the bones.

"Cere? There's a ship leaving Zeffo. And there's an Imperial base here as well." Kairi responded through her comm link as Cal heard it through his, before finding the 16 year old Jedi Padawan once again.

"I heard. They plan to take Zeffo artifacts back to Coruscant." Cere explained as Kairi was looking at the entrance, before she started drawing it in her journal.

"I miss Coruscant. And even my old room back at the Jedi Temple. It can get pretty boring. But I always love to explore new things." Kairi responded as she walked towards the closed doors of the Imperial Base of Zeffo.

"You were always the mischievous one, Kairi. But you always have an open mind." Cere explained as Kairi studied her drawing, before BD-1 started scanning the scomp link pad.

"Can you slice through this?" Cal asked.

BD-1 beeped as he reminded Cal about what happened with his scomp link.

"Sorry about your scomp link. But standing up to that Bog Rat. That was pretty brave." Cal explained.

"I agree with you, Cal. I've never seen a droid like you do that before." Kairi stated.

BD-1 chirped as he understood, before jumping back onto Cal's back.

* * *

Going back the same way that they went, Cal and Kairi found another path where they could go around instead of going inside of the Imperial Base. After boosting Kairi up where she can cut a rope down with her lightsaber, the two found another shortcut where it leads to another abandoned base that the Empire had left behind.

"Uh… I'm starving." Kairi announced as she felt her stomach rumbling.

"That soup Greez made wasn't enough?" Cal asked.

"I have a bottomless stomach, Kestis. It's not normal. As soon as I eat, I eat again. All I do on Bracca is eat, sleep, work and repeat." Kairi explained as she sat down to take a breather, by sitting down in the dirt trail.

"What about those cookies you've brought?" Cal suggested, after remembering that Kairi had a snack sized bag of them when she used a few against a Stormtrooper for a Spazz Rat to come out.

"The bag is halfway empty. I need to save it just in case." Kairi stated, before BD-1 climbed down and sat down on her lap. "The next Spazz Rat I'm seeing, I'm eating… Like that one!" She responded, before they saw one climbing out of its hole and Kairi quickly pulled out her bows and arrows.

"Wait, Kairi!" Cal called out as he saw a Heavy Assault Trooper coming out.

"Crap!" Kairi cried loudly as she finally looked up and saw the Stormtrooper who was aiming at her.

Cal immediately ran towards the 16 year old in a quick second and pushed her down to the ground, as he used his body to protect Kairi underneath him. Looking up, Kairi saw that the Spazz Rat was the only one who got killed in the crossfire as she narrowed her eyes at the Heavy Assault Trooper.

"You've ruined my food!" Kairi retorted as Cal got off of her and the Jedi Padawans draw out their lightsabers.

Quickly reflecting the blaster bullets back at the Stormtrooper, it immediately broke the shield when he couldn't handle being fired back, until the last bullet that was shot hit through his chest.

"That takes care of him... You still hungry, Kairi?" Cal asked, before he saa Kairi pushing the Spazz Rat over the cliff with her right foot.

"I'm not even hungry now, Cal. Stormtroopers ruined my appetite." Kairi stated as she pouted, before they went inside the base, until they found a holo computer which the 16 year old Jedi Padawan started touching the buttons.

_"In accordance with the Emperor's will, we've occupied Zeffo, redistributing its inhabitants. This planet has failed to yield significant data of relics for Project Auger. It's electromagnetic winds have rendered the bulk of our mining technology useless. Meanwhile, more stormtroopers lose their lives to dangerous fauna. We will not be able to fulfill our directive here. It is my recommendation that we disband the project and leave a token outpost to keep scavengers from stealing our technology."_

"So that's why the Stormtroopers were here for?" Kairi asked.

"Whatever relic that they can find is worth to the Empire. Zeffo has been abandoned since the start of Project Auger which was during our years of hiding." Cal explained as Kairi moved closer to him so she can use the blue light from his lightsaber to write down information about Project Auger before making a rough draft picture of the Stormtrooper.

"There's a possibility that the Empire might look for the tomb, Cal. We have to move fast." Kairi stated after putting away her journal, and switching her lightsaber on.

"Jedi! Engaged with caution!" A Stormtrooper's alerting voice was heard along with an electro-baton switching on, as Cal and Kairi saw two of them heading towards their way.

"This never ends." Kairi stated as she and Cal ran back inside of the imperial base…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Kairi was sing was the first part of a Japanese song that I loved hearing. It came from the new anime called Yashahime: Princess Half Demon and the song is called Break by Uru.
> 
> Black Thunder or Sugana Essana, what do you call the song Cal loves to listen to in the beginning of the game? I prefer Sugana Essana instead.
> 
> *** I thought of a part that would happen in the game where Cal has a small amount of time to save Kairi from being killed or its Respawn time (Kairi is dead). But as the game progresses, Kairi will be able to protect herself and Cal will have more time or to send BD-1 to help out.


	10. Tomb Of Eliram

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they arrived at the tomb, Cal and Kairi learns more and remember about their past when they started their search in the tomb.

_"My lovely *** …"_

_"My Jedi Knight…"_

_"That voice… have I heard it somewhere?" Kairi thought to herself, as she was in her mind before focusing on her Master Rin Sotah who was holding his wife close to him._

_The sound of a baby gurgling was heard as Kairi can see a bundle of blankets in the woman's arms, before the couple looked down at the baby in the wife's arms._

_"Just who are those two?" Kairi responded to herself quietly..._

Kairi moaned quietly as she was trying to keep a focused mind of a vision with her eyes closed and on her knees at a meditation circle.

As Cal and Kairi arrived at the Windswept Ruins of Zeffo, Cal suggested the younger Jedi Padawan to take a small rest, until Kairi decided to meditate in order for her to regain some of her strength back after healing Cal earlier from the thermal bomb explosion.

Hearing the sounds of haunting, painful screams and even lightsabers were drawn, Kairi immediately snapped her eyes open, thinking it was nearby.

"Cal?!" Kairi cried loudly while looking around the ruins from her meditation circle. "Great, where did he go?" She asked herself while she stood up slowly.

Sensing his presence from inside of the ruins, Kairi picked up her lightsaber as she ran towards a narrow entrance of the ruins.

 _'He's the one who keeps telling me to never go alone. But he's stubborn as a Phillak no matter what.'_ Kairi thought to herself, as she was annoyed that Cal was able to go off by himself without her, but she was always the one scolded whenever she left his side or to do something different than normal.

Squeezing her way through, Kairi managed to make it to the other side.

"Cal?" Kairi called out once again, as the loud roaring sound of heavy wind was heard, until she finally heard "over here" from inside of it.

Running towards Cal's location, Kairi slowed down as her silver eyes widened to see that there were floating rocks spinning around in a giant stormy wind cyclone which had a large lift in the middle of it all.

"Wow…" Kairi responded as she was amazed before standing next to Cal's right side.

BD-1 whistled as he agreed with the 16 year old Jedi Padawan.

"I never seen a storm do that before. It's incredible." Cal stated, as Kairi pulled out her journal and started drawing it.

"It's amazing. It's like… seeing a true eye of the storm. That's what Cordova mentioned. Maybe we have to go down to find more information." Kairi explained, as she suggested an idea before putting away her journal.

"Together?" Cal responded.

Kairi nodded, before she and Cal used the Force to stop the rocks from spinning around in the wind cyclone, until they started running towards the lift.

Seeing BD-1 jump off Cal's back, the bi pedal droid was next to a button which caught their attention.

"What's up, BD?" Kairi asked, before she accidentally stepped on something which caused the lift to move down as BD-1 started scanning.

 _"My Friend. I believe this to be the earliest Zeffo site we've uncovered yet "_ Eno Cordova's voice was heard on BD-1's small speaker on his head as BD-1 latched onto Kairi's back. _"Despite my reservations, I cannot chase the Bogano Vault from my mind. It's visions shaped the direction of an entire culture. I must understand why."_

"Whatever happens down here, stay close to me." Cal reminded the younger Jedi Padawan as she was looking around the lift, when lights began to dim around them.

"I will. I will, Kestis." Kairi responded after sighing to herself, knowing that she felt annoyed by staying close to Cal. "Hmm…" She hummed to herself, while having one eye closed as she studied the sphere in front of her.

"Cere, we're in the tomb. It's massive." Cal stated as he used his comm link to contact Cere.

"And the Empire?" Cere asked, after the large gate opened.

"No signs of them… yet." Kairi answered.

"What about Cordova?" Cere asked once more, as the two exited the lift.

"Still not sure on what to find. He's a little…" Cal responded as he was looking for a word to describe Eno Cordova.

"Eccentric? Tell me about it." Cere finished.

"I was gonna say nuts." Kairi stated, before Cal nudged his elbow into her right shoulder. "Oww!" She exclaimed while rubbing it.

"Cere, you have to ignore her. She kept falling out of trees back at the Jedi Temple because she doesn't know how to keep her balance." Cal responded as he joked about Kairi.

"Oh yeah? Like the time me and you snuck out of curfew to see Coruscant at night? And it was your idea in the first place." Kairi explained, as she narrowed her silver eyes at him.

"Cal, Kairi, you two have to stay focused during this. Remember to keep an open mind while inside the tomb." Cere stated after cutting the two off.

Kairi had her arms crossed as she and Cal left the lift, before smelling a horrible scent in the air which disgusted them at first.

"What is that smell? A dead creature?" Kairi asked as she had her left hand covering her nose and mouth.

"Do you see that?" Cal asked, as he pointed to a breathing green plant which sprouted out of the ground.

BD-1 beeped in agreement as he saw the plant as well.

"Ugh…" Cal responded in disgust, as Kairi decided to try and draw it while sitting down on the steps.

"It's called… skungus. From what I remember. It explodes if we try to cut it open. Or if we touch it, it will sting us." Kairi explained as she managed to draw it with one hand and the other hand around her nose and mouth.

"Good to know." Cal stated, before the two left the area by squeezing through narrow rocks and felt a strong gust of wind once they made it to the other side.

As Kairi moved head, she can see more skungus on more rocky platforms before noticing a few rigged walls that they can wall run to an ice slide. Nodding to herself, Cal finally caught up to her after saving BD-1 from falling off of Cal's back from the huge gust of wind when he tried to scan more information about the skungus plant.

"Be careful, you two… One touch or one lightsaber attack." Kairi warned after when Cal caught up to her before surveying the area that the younger Jedi Padawan discovered.

Making it to the other side, Cal managed to follow Kairi as they avoided the parasitic plants and wall ran towards an ice slice which not one of them cannot make the jump. After making it down to the slide, Cal landed on Kairi's back, while hearing her painful moans when her face was planted on the floor. Raising his head up, Cal's eyes widened in shock to see Iris who was trying to pull Kairi from off of underneath him.

"I swear to my mother that this red haired Jedi loves to use my daughter as a landing pillow." Iris responded, unaware that Cal saw her before slowly getting off of her, and saw her disappear in front of him.

 _'Kairi… What are you hiding from me? Who was that?'_ Cal thought to himself, before seeing a few Spazz Rats heading towards their way.

"BD, stay with Kairi." Cal instructed the bi pedal droid before he flew off of his owner's back and stood next to Kairi, who responded to him nuzzling his head into her neck

Laughing gently, she managed to raise her left hand and pet the top of BD-1 head.

"BD… you're so cute." Kairi responded quietly, before she slowly raised her body up along with opening her eyes to see Cal dealing with the Spazz Rats. "I need some help." She stated as BD-1 shot out a healing stim and it landed in Kairi's right hand.

BD-1 beeped in confusion as she gently pulled out his small tray and placed the stim inside and, and pushed it back.

"I have to try this." Kairi whispered as her legs felt weak once she tried to get up, but she decided to crawl to a nearby rock when more Spazz Rats began to appear out of a small room.

Seeing that they were drawn to Cal's lightsaber, Kairi was behind cover as BD-1 followed her and stood next to her.

"Watch this, BD-1." Kairi whispered.

Closing her eyes, Kairi was focusing as she had her right hand out when a small ball of a greenish glow came out while BD-1 watched. As Cal was fighting off his third Spazz Rat, he blocked it's second bite attack as the creature backed away from him and turned his attention to the rock which Kairi was hiding behind.

Seeing the Spazz Rat drawned to the green glow around it like they were hypnotized before BD-1 got out over cover to check on Cal who immediately used his lightsaber to slash through their neck to kill them off.

Remembering something from the past, Cal felt his head hurting as he got down on one knee and his lightsaber was switched off before he closed his emerald green eyes.

* * *

_"Promise me that you wouldn't hate me for this, Cal?" Young Kairi responded_

_"I won't. What are you doing?! We have to get outta of here, Kai!" Young Cal asked as he saw her close her eyes, before holding onto Cal's hand._

_"As your friend, please trust me, Cal Kestis!" Young Kairi responded once more as she remained focus._

_Hearing something breaking apart from underneath them, Cal and Kairi were falling down towards their deaths before they were saved by Kairi's shield which she created._

_"Hold on!" Kairi exclaimed, before hugging Cal's body as they disappeared..._

* * *

"...Cal? Cal!"

The fainted voice of Kairi's began to echo as she was using her hands to lift up Cal's face. Blinking his eyes, he saw Kairi's smile on her face along with BD-1 on her back.

"Are you okay? Do you need BD-1 to heal you?" Kairi asked as she was worried about the ginger haired Jedi, until his emerald green eyes looked away from her and to see Iris who was behind his younger friend. "What's wrong, Cal?" She asked as she noticed that he wasn't saying anything to her, before she stood up and pulled out her lightsaber while looking around the area to see if there wasn't any Spazz Rats left.

BD-1 jumped off and used his little legs to run back to Cal, before jumping onto his lap.

Chirping a question to Cal, the ginger haired Jedi looked down at him before giving the bi pedal droid a reassuring smile and started looking back at Kairi who touched a switch on the wall which caused a huge gust of wind to blow in her face.

Laughing to herself, Kairi was smiling as she left her mouth open with her tongue out when she smiled.

 _'Kairi… just who are you exactly?'_ Cal thought to himself…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter!
> 
> Cal just saw Iris and he's probably freaking seeing Iris! How will he approach Kairi about it? Will he speak up or keep it to himself? Will Kairi be able to break the promise that she and Iris create to expose the truth about her and the lightsaber? Or is it too soon?
> 
> What will happen in the next chapter?


	11. Deep Inside The Tomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal learns a secret from Kairi's training days as Master Rin Sotah's Padawan while he decided to learn something from Kairi to help him reconnect with the Force. Meanwhile, Iris leaves Kairi for a few short minutes to meet another user in the Force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To tell everyone the truth, that puzzle part will make me write another chapter as I won't put down new stuff about Cal and Kairi. I know some of you hated the puzzle part, but it took me a minute and even the help of BD-1. But I decided to skip the part, and write more what I had on my mind for it. 
> 
> Hope all of you don't mind!

"Kairi, get down!" Cal responded as Kairi was swinging back and forth on some kind of chandelier that held a giant sphere inside. The younger Jedi Padawan was having fun before she started to laugh at how Cal couldn't get her down once it reached him where the strong wind kept pushing her and the chandelier back.

But once Cal turned it off, Kairi looked at him with a pouting face.

"Just why? I wanna know." Kairi asked, before she managed to jump down.

"We're here to find clues on how to unlock the vault. Not have fun, Kairi." Cal explained as Kairi started climbing up the wall before standing next to the ginger haired Jedi. "Being a Jedi is serious business." He stated.

Crossing her arms, Kairi looked up at Cal before speaking what was on her mind.

"When was the last time you've actually had fun, Cal? Huh? Your birthday when you've got drunk for the first time? Or was it when you started becoming friends with me?" Kairi asked as she started to become angry at Cal, before calming down, knowing it can lead her down a path to the dark side. "Cal… I have to tell you something." She stated as she looked away.

Cal's green eyes widened once he had heard those words coming from Kairi's mouth. He was thinking that Kairi was going to tell her about the Force Ghost he had seen when the younger Jedi Padawan was touching him. Or was it something related to this mission which could lead Kairi into quitting on her hope of becoming free.

He waited as Kairi was trying to find the right words to tell him, until she finally did.

"I never got to explore new planets and such. Even though I'm supposed to be Master Sotah's Padawan, he kept me inside of his ship while he went and did some missions with his clone troopers." Kairi confessed as she was looking down at her feet. "Beside being on Coruscant and Ilum with him, I'm okay to walk on, but planets like Bracca, Zeffo… I never got to do as a Youngling or his Padawan."

"So you've been… isolated?" Cal asked.

Kairi nodded before speaking once again.

"I was still able to train. But I don't know why he kept me inside the ship. All he ever told me was to stay inside, don't let anyone else but him and the clone troopers in and also do not engage in combat when it's necessary." Kairi responded, as she remembered those exact words that Rin Sotah told her every time when he leaves. "Every Padawan is lucky but not me. I don't know why chosen me as his own Padawan. I once heard he had one of his own before he turned into a quiet and strict Jedi Master." She explained, before sitting down over the climbing ledge.

"Maybe Cere knows about him." Cal suggested, as he sat down next to her, but she moved away from him to avoid contact.

"Cal, speaking of Cere… I think she's hiding something. When I'm around her, she'd like… had this aura that I can't explain… but it's like she's changed. She's not the same Jedi who rescued me years back." Kairi explained as she was looking back at her feet.

"That's because she cut herself off from the Force." Cal stated.

"What? Why? Why would she do that?" Kairi asked as she was in shock to hear that while looking back up at the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

"I don't know either. But we'll ask her later when we get back. And Kairi… sorry about what happened earlier." Cal apologized, before Kairi smiled at him.

_"Cal and Kairi… sitting in a tree…"_

Iris' voice was heard as Kairi turned around to face the Force Ghost before pulling out her lightsaber in a threatening way, until Iris disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Cal asked after noticing Kairi's lightsaber was in her right hand, ready to switch on.

"Nothing…" Kairi whispered, before it back on her belt bag. "Let's hurry up and solve this so we can go back. I'm already starving." She responded as she and Cal stood back up.

"Then eat some skungus, Jabami." Cal responded, in a joking way.

"Eww, that's disgusting, Kestis!" Kairi responded before pushing Cal's shoulder in a playful way.

"You were going to eat a Spazz Rat raw earlier." Cal stated, as a smile appeared on his face.

"I never said that! BD-1, help me out!" Kairi responded as she wanted to defend herself.

BD-1 beeped and chripped as he was laughing at Kairi's reaction, before Cal started chuckling.

"You two are idiots!" Kairi retorted as Cal and BD-1 laughed at her, before she stuck her tongue out and pulled her left eyelid down with her index finger.

* * *

As Cal and BD-1 continue laughing at the seething dark haired Jedi Padawan, the ginger haired Jedi saw something walking towards Kairi from behind while the black haired Jedi was unaware of the enemy getting closer.

"Kairi!" Cal shouted, before he immediately leaped into action by catching Kairi as they rolled over a few times when nearly kicked the 16 year old's back.

"What was that?!" Kairi asked, after Cal got off of her as they stood up.

"I've never seen that before." Cal answered as he and Kairi pulled out their lightsabers before switching them on.

"At least there is something we agree on." Kairi responded, before running towards the enemy who was twice as tall. Slashing the taller enemy with her lightsaber, Kairi was thrown off by a stomp attack causing her to be launched back near Cal's feet.

"Oww… your turn… It's coming towards you!" Kairi managed to say, as she tried to get up before seeing the taller enemy heading towards Cal's direction.

BD-1 alarmed Cal with a loud trill as Kairi managed to jump back and Cal rolled away from the taller enemy.

"Kairi, can you use that connection ability on him?" Cal asked, as he slowly backed away from it.

"Two things. I don't know how to use it. And I think it works on certain creatures." Kairi explained, before she finally stood up and used the Force to slow down the taller enemy's stomp attack.

Cal and Kairi were taking turns on taking down the taller enemy by avoiding each one of its stomps, kicks, punches and its laser which caught them by surprise until it fell onto its knees and onto the ground.

"That was hard work." Kairi stated as BD-1 started scanning the dead taller enemy, before he announced the name of it.

"A tomb guardian? We have to be more careful and we have to find a way to stop him from attacking us first. " Cal explained, before the two put away their lightsabers after switching them off.

* * *

Finding another way to make it off to the closed room on the other side, Cal was leading the way as usual while Kairi was tailing behind him, before he started asking the younger Jedi Padawan a question.

"Hey, Kairi. You're not hiding anything from me, aren't you?" Cal asked.

"Of course, Kestis. I'm not. And besides, if I had a secret, I would have told you. You know everything about me like an open book." Kairi responded as she had her arms behind her head, while smiling at the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

"Uh-huh. One more thing. How did you reconnect with the Force that quickly? You've only meditated twice so far." Cal asked as he turned around to face her.

"Hmm… I'm a fast learner, Cal. Like here… I'll show you." Kairi responded, before sitting down on the floor with her legs criss crossed. "The way I was trained was different. Master Sotah wants me to focus on the good thoughts of the Force. Block out all negatives. And somehow… I was taken to my mediation training grounds." She explained as Cal got down on his knees in front of Kairi, before BD-1 climbed off and stood next to the two Jedi Padawans.

"How do you do that?" Cal asked.

"I'm guessing Master Tapal never taught you that. But let's make a deal… if I take you to the meditation training grounds and if you reconnect with the Force, I want you to train me to be a stronger Jedi and I'll tell you a secret about me." Kairi suggested as she had her hands on her legs.

"I thought you didn't hide secrets." Cal stated.

"Still… I don't know much about myself. But you have trust me. Just like you did… 5 years ago when we nearly died." Kairi responded as she was looking away from Cal.

BD-1 beeped in a comforting tone as he nuzzled his head on Kairi's left hand.

"You're so sweet, BD." Kairi responded as a small smile appeared on her face, before looking up at Cal. "Okay. Are you ready?" She asked.

Cal nodded before Kairi gently took his hands into her smaller ones.

 _'Her hands are so small. And they're soft. Last time I held her hand was when the Purge happened. She's always so gentle and sweet in her own way.'_ Cal thought to himself as he and Kairi had their eyes closed.

"Focus on the positive stuff. Not the negative thoughts. As a Jedi must confront your fears, feelings, to grow the courage that is building inside of you. You must rise up and be one with the Force." Kairi whispered as Cal heard them before they could feel the Force around them… until they started flowing up when their feet were not touching the ground along with the rocks and pottery around them.

Cal only opened one of his eyes as he was in shock to see that he was floating up in the air while holding Kairi's hands.

_"Focus, Cal Kestis. You must remember to focus."_

A strange voice with an accent was heard from Kairi's mouth as Cal turned to look at the dark haired Jedi Padawan.

Kairi's purple forehead symbol glowed as a greenish aura glowed around her, before it dissappeared until her eyes snapped open to show that her silver eyes were glowing green.

 _"Remain focus, Jedi. I can sense an ability that you will unlock from your past training. And it begins now."_ The voice responded.

As Kairi removed one of her hands from Cal's grip, she placed her hand on Cal's chest before his emerald green eyes were rolled back and the training meditation was broken off once Cal's other hand slipped out of the smaller right hand.

Kairi landed on her feet as she shaken off the feeling of being controlled by Iris, before looking back at Cal who had his eyes closed and was breathing normally while he was meditating.

"It's working… You're doing great, Cal." Kairi whispered.

As she waited, Kairi had the urge to touch Cal's face knowing that it was an unusual feeling that she wanted to try and do when he wasn't looking.

 _"Maybe just one time. He touches my face when I sometimes cry or feels my forehead if I'm sick…"_ Kairi thought to herself as she quietly snapping her fingers, before she slowly lifted them up.

Moving closer to Cal's face, before she slowly gently rested her hands on his cheeks while looking down at his closed eyes.

 _"Hes… He's so beautiful. Like his face is sculptured like a God himself. The fiery red hair… so amazing…_ " Kairi thought herself as BD-1 climbed onto her back.

BD-1 beeped as he was wondering what Kairi was doing with Cal while he watched.

Kairi's heart began to beat fast, before putting one hand on her chest to where her own heart is, as she started breathing quietly in and out her mouth while she hid it by covering her mouth.

 _"Please forgive me for this, Cal."_ Kairi thought to herself before staring at his forehead.

Kairi decided to do something unexpected as Cal was still meditating.

She slowly lowered her head and gently placed a kiss on his forehead.

Once her soft lips touched his forehead, Kairi felt the whole world around her going silent as her eyes remained close until a tear ran down her face.

 _"Cal… I… I don't know what this feeling is… but… I think it's love."_ Kairi thought to herself, before resting her forehead against his own once she kissed him.

When she opened her eyes, Cal's green eyes were staring back at her.

Her cheeks started turning red as she removed her hands from Cal's face, before scrambling away from him while screaming.

"Cal! I didn't know you were done meditating and I thought it was going to take a long time. So I decided to rest my head against yours to make sure that you were staying calm and not being scared by the darkness or the past or anything. Nothing was going on while you were meditating or such! Me and BD-1 were talking while you were doing that, that's all!" Kairi rambled on as she was looking away from Cal while hiding her blushing face, before looking at him who was gently touching his forehead.

"If you say so, Kairi." Cal responded calmly.

"Okay! So, what did you learn?" Kairi responded as she had her hands on her hips as she brushed it off.

Cal walked away from Kairi as she turned confused before following him, before they stood in front of a door which was blocking them from the other side.

"What stands in the way becomes the way." Cal instructed, before surprising Kairi when he lifted up his left hand in a quick pushing manner which caused the wall to break. "I did it." He responded as he was shocked to see that reconnected with his training once again, thanks to the help of Kairi's meditation.

"Woo-hoo! Score one for Kestis!" Kairi cheered as she smiled at him.

As the two walked into the room, they saw more Zeffo statues and even a large tomb where it was underneath them before seeing BD-1 jumping off of Kairi's back and quickly ran towards a wall.

Scanning the wall scriptures, Cal and Kairi saw Eno Cordova appear when BD-1 finished the scan.

 _"My friend, take a look at the details on this bark. The distinctive striations. It can only be a wroshyr tree from Kashyyyk. It's time to call out on an old friend. If the Zeffo had contacted Kashyyyk… There is a good chance Chieftain Tarttful will know about it."_ Eno Cordova explained before the hologram recording of him ended.

"Kashyyyk, huh? Have you ever been to Kashyyyk before, Kai?" Cal asked, as he waited on Kairi's answer. But he turned to his right to see that the 16 year old wasn't next to him once again. "Kairi?" He called out once more, before seeing a Tomb Guardian who had grabbed her by the back collar of her long sleeve shirt.

"Cal? I wasn't doing anything! I was just studying him, until he saw me!" Kairi explained before the Tomb Guardian threw her across the room after booting her bottom to get away from him. "Yep! Definite bruise!" He cried while rubbing her behind while her chin was still on the floor.

* * *

Far away from Zeffo on another planet, an older man who was meditating quietly while he wore a black cloak, before Iris appeared in front of him.

"I have returned." Iris responded.

He slowly open his left blue to see that the Force Ghost has came back to him after a while now.

Sighing quietly before rubbing the bridge of his nose, as he stood up from his meditating circle and decided to make himself a cup of tea which was left on a small table.

"How is her progress?" He asked.

"Slowly learning. How long do we have until the Empire finds her and Cal?" Iris asked.

"She must learn quickly, Iris. Even though I can't get to her or him. It's best not to know. Plus, I sense something off. It's a feeling that is forbidden." The man responded after he finished pouring his tea.

"I'm sure it's nothing. I'll keep an eye on her. We must not let her know about her true origins yet. Or why _he_ wants her alive." Iris explained.

"I just wish I was there on that horrid day to help you. Even though I can't go back to my body. Her body will have to do… if she sacrifices everything. All she knows is that I am dead and haunting her to make her find the truth." Iris explained.

"Iris… The Force will lead her down the right path and into the truth. That's what makes her very special. Do not give up on her. She may be the future's hope while her and her team find the holocron. Once the mission is done, I will show myself." He responded

"Okay. Be careful out there. The Empire is still searching for more Jedi." Iris stated before she started turning away.

"I will. Iris… May the Force be with you." He responded, as Iris stopped walking and heard those words.

Nodding gently, Iris disappeared as she headed back to Kairi's location.

* * *

After going up through the lift, Cal and Kairi had their next objective to follow the steps to unlocking the vault. When informing Cere about the next step, the two decide to head back and start finding their next clue on Kashyyyk.

Feeling shivers running down her spine, Kairi saw Iris appearing next to the 16 year old.

 _"Iris, where have you been?"_ Kairi thought to herself as she was speaking to her without Cal noticing.

"Just taking a small break. That's all." Iris replied.

 _"Well, don't do that again. I got my butt kicked by a Tomb Guardian."_ Kairi responded, as Iris saw a faint dirt patch of a Tomb Guardian's metal foot on the back of her white skirt.

"Well, that's no good." Cal stated after he saw multiple Stormtroopers who had taken over the Windswept Ruins after killing leftover Phillaks that Cal ignored earlier. "How are we gonna get past them now? If we take them head on, one of us will be killed." He asked, as he and Kairi stayed behind cover to keep themselves hidden.

Kairi was counting how many Stormtroopers were in the area, before Iris appeared while the 16 year old's forehead symbol glowed when she saw two Phillaks who were hidden away from the enemies.

"How about some extra muscle?" Kairi suggested, before motioning the two Phillaks to come towards them quickly.

"What are you talking about?" Cal asked quietly, before hearing hoofs lightly touching the concrete until he saw the Phillaks next to Kairi. "What are you doing?" He asked, as Kairi got onto one of them.

With her forehead symbol glowed and her hands on the neck of the Phillak, Kairi's eyes were closed as she reminded focus before snapping her eyes back open.

"Let's go." Kairi whispered, before the Phillak jumped over the concrete as she pulled out her lightsaber.

"What?!" One of the Stormtroopers started to say in confusion, before Kairi swung her lightsaber at his chest and took out another one after when the Phillak she rode one jumped down and headed to another one.

"It's her! Where's the other one?" The Stormtrooper with the rocket launcher announced after shooting the rocket, but he ended up missing. Turning towards his right, Cal was barely hanging onto the Phillak that was left with him as he was trying to kick the ginger haired Jedi off of him. "Got him!" He shouted, before an arrow from Kairi met his chest.

"Hang on!" Cal announced loudly, after gripping onto the Phillak's neck as BD-1 trilled in shock while holding onto Cal's back.

"Well… what took you so long?" Kairi asked, after coming back with her Phillak.

"This one doesn't like me." Cal responded as Kairi can tell that has quietly breathing in and out through his mouth, knowing he was tired.

"It takes time. I took them out for once instead of being the helpless Jedi calling out for help." Kairi explained, while putting away her bow and arrows. "Whoa, easy there…" She responded while petting it's horns.

BD-1 jumped onto the Phillak's horns as he was getting a better view from being attached to Cal's back, before beeping a question for Kairi about riding on the Phillak's head.

"I'm sure you will be okay. But I think you should stay on Cal's back or mine's just to be safe." Kairi answered.

BD-1 beeped lowly, before Cal chuckled lightly once the bi pedal droid was attached to his back.

"It's better to be safe, BD-1. We don't want to lose you on the way back." Cal explained, before he petted his head.

BD-1 beeped happily before resting his head on Cal's shoulder.

"We should be heading back… And hey." Cal responded, before he lightly kicked the side of the Phillak's stomach as he started moving, until the ginger haired Jedi Padawan stopped his Phillak. "You did great out there. Keep that up and you won't need me by your side." He stated as he complimented Kairi.

Her cheeks started to turn red as she gently smiled at Cal.

"Thanks." Kairi responded quietly, before following Cal and his Phillak back to the Mantis...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the last Zeffo chapter until Kairi and Cal heads back there for Project Auger since I am following the main story. I'm planning to do a filter chapter for Kashyyyk and even after it, so I hope you all do not mind. 
> 
> Anyway, who do you think that mysterious man who is a Force user Iris was talking to beside Kairi? Why are they interested in Kairi? Is Kairi in love with Cal? Is it too early? What will happen? What are you thoughts? Please tell me! If you have ideas, tell me! I'm willing to listen!


	12. Learning From Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Kairi heads back to Mantis, but trouble awaits them.

_**A/N: Decided to take a break from this story last month because it was the holidays and even I was working on another story from the TV show, Gotham. I learned that Cameron Monaghan was Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska in the series, but I loved Jerome more than his brother. So I created a new story under Gotham called Till I See You Again. Check it out, I even loved the story as well and even this one!** _

_**Plus whenever I used notes on here, they repeated the same notes from the last few chapters. Has anyone notice that? Is that annoying or what?** _

_**Anyway, back to the story!** _

* * *

Altering finding out the next clue and the next step to opening the Vault, Cal and Kairi started to return back to the Stinger Mantis to continue their journey.

But on the way back, the two decide to explore more of Zeffo as they headed back to the huge wall which had a giant Zeffo statue inside which amazed both of the Jedi Padawans. Upon their discovery they found a replacement scomp link just for BD-1 which he chirped happily once Cal fixed him as good as new. Finding a way out of the place and stopping a few Stormtroopers in their path, the two found the Phillaks from earlier and headed back.

"Looks like you're getting the hang of using your push ability and even your Phillak." Kairi stated as Cal was ahead of her on their Phillaks.

"Yeah. Somehow he's not kicking me off again. To tell you the truth, I never knew that this could be fun." Cal responded as he playful side was showing.

"Look who's acting like the fun loving 14 year old again. Is that right, Nier?" Kairi responded with a smile, before petting the top of Nier's horns.

"Nier?" Cal asked.

"That's what I have decided to call him. Is it a good name?" Kairi replied.

"Kairi, we cannot be attached to them. What if they were killed once we leave Zeffo? Or what if we don't come back?" Cal explained, before hearing their comm links turning on as Cere was trying to contact him and Kairi.

 _"Cal, Kairi, we've got a walker firing on us and our weapons are down!"_ Cere explained as the two know it was urgent to make it back.

"We're on our way. Time to leave them, Kairi." Cal responded before he got off his Phillak and Kairi did the same as well.

"Don't listen to him. We'll see you soon." Kairi whispered as her forehead was resting against Nier's head, after Cal walked into a hallway which leaded towards the hanger.

Kairi tailed behind Cal as she was catching up with him before the two ran out of the hanger to see an AT-ST firing at the Mantis, until the walker saw them.

"Kairi, stay back!" Cal informed the 16 year old Jedi as he pulled out his lightsaber.

"No way!" Kairi rejected, as she pulled out her own lightsaber, and immediately ran towards the walker.

"Kairi no!" Cal called out as he saw Kairi dodging each firing blaster, before the 16 year old held onto the walker's left leg with her body.

As Kairi held onto the AT-ST's leg, she started climbing slowly while the Imperial officer was trying to use the controls to shake her off by dropping a few landmines. Cal rolled away once they exploded around the AT-ST, but Kairi still kept a strong grip onto the leg when she used a protective shield around her. Starting back to climb up, Kairi thought of an idea as she looked back at Cal who was running to the AT-ST to take Kairi off of it, but ended up getting a muddy foot to the face.

"Sorry, Cal!" Kairi apologized after Cal landed onto his back while BD-1 who jumped off at the last second.

 _"Kairi, what are you doing?!"_ Cere asked as she saw Kairi climbing up the AT-ST, before she made it towards the opening latch.

"Just…fighting back for once!" Kairi stated as she tried to open the sealed door, but it was locked on the inside.

 _"Is that kid crazy?!"_ Greez asked.

"Heard that, old fart!" Kairi yelled from outside of the ship.

Pulling out her lightsaber, she immediately switched it on before using the glowing green blade to stab the door handle. Hearing the officer exclaim in shock, Kairi switched off her lightsaber and finally opened the door with all of the small strength she had left in her tired body. Climbing inside of the AT-ST, Cal finally raises his body up from the rain water to see Kairi's body half way inside of the walker while fighting back for the controllers.

Cal's emerald green eyes widened as he noticed that the walker was heading towards the cliff.

This is when he immediately sprang into action.

Almost close to the edge of the landing pad, Cal used the Force to slow down the AT-ST before he started climbing up the walker. He immediately grabbed Kairi by her white skirt and pulled her out of the AT-ST's control pod, jumping off when the Imperial officer and the walker fell off the edge at the last minute.

With Kairi over his left shoulder, the 16 year old Jedi Padawan's eyes widen to see that Cal had saved her once again, but quickly turn frustrated with her arms crossed.

"Really, Kestis?" Kairi asked as she felt annoyed.

"I was expecting to hear you say along the lines of _"Thank you, Cal for saving me."_. Cal responded sarcastically.

"I didn't even need your help. I knew what I was doing." Kairi explained, before Cal turned around and started walking towards the Stinger Mantis when Greez lowered the ramp down.

Iris nodded as she flashed a smile at her, but when Kairi finally saw her smile. Her eyes widened in shock before hearing a soft giggle in her mind, causing her to rub her head.

"Iris?" Kairi called out her name gently, before opening her eyes to see Cere who was looking at her.

"What were you thinking, Kairi? That wasn't a Jedi way for you to handle the situation. It was more reckless." Cere explained.

"I'm learning every single day. Cal is doing the same thing as well. Anyway, we found something in the tomb." Kairi stated, before Cal placed her down on the floor.

Cal pointed to the back of the Mantis which means that he wanted Kairi to go back to her room.

Kairi started muttering in a different language which she didn't even know about herself until she looked to see Greez floating up in the air, hollering out for something to get him down. Her glowing green eyes were staring at him, as Cal and Cere were trying to pull him down but the glowing green aura around the Latero was pulling him to the top of the ship, causing Kairi to laugh at Greez's cries for help.

"Ow!" Kairi cried as she snapped out of it when BD-1 landed on the floor and kicked her leg. "For a little droid, you've packed a mean kick." She stated after when Greez landed on Cal while rubbing her leg.

"Thanks, kid." Greez stated, before climbing off.

"Don't mention it." Cal responded, before Kairi helped him up as he noticed that he was having a hard time raising his body upright.

"Cal? A word?" Cere stated, before Cal nodded while Kairi was rubbing his back where Greez had landed on him.

Watching the two walk to the back of the Mantis with BD-1 behind them, Kairi and Greez were left alone as the 16 year old Jedi Padawan decided to head to the front of the ship. Sitting down in the captain's chair, Kairi had her hands on the controls, before Greez walked towards her from behind.

"Say, kid, you shouldn't sit down in my chair, ya know. The Mantis should be treated with respect. You know why?" Greez stated as Kairi looked at the Latero while removing her hands.

"Yeah. 'Cause it's a piece of junk." Kairi answered.

"It is not a piece of junk, kid. It's a work of art. A beauty, I might call it. Young ones like you may call it that, but after a few repairs and a couple of loans. My ship is one fine working machine." Greez explained.

"Wow. I didn't know you care about this ship. Even after that rocky landing you gave us." Kairi responded as she moved the captain's chair around to face Greez.

"I cared about a lot of things. My ship, cooking, my safety…" Greez stated.

"Hey, you have three Jedi like me, Cal and Cere. Don't worry. Nothing won't happen to you. If anyone comes across one of us, I'll be the first one to take care of them." Kairi explained, as she smiled.

"Like how you've taken care of that thing out there?" Greez asked.

"The AT-ST? I didn't know what to do. But somehow, I knew what I was doing. I just don't want Cal to do all the heavy work." Kairi responded, before Greez placed his hand on her right shoulder since she was still sitting down.

"In my opinion, I think you're doing just fine. But with Cal, you've gotta be more careful than what you did. You heard what Cere said." Greez stated as Kairi looked back at the Latero.

Kairi nodded, knowing that she has a lot to learn even after 5 years of being in hiding.

Cere had pulled Cal away from Kairi for a minute since she decided to talk more about herself. Knowing that it was going to be a long journey ahead of them, she wanted to open up more for Cal, but to Kairi, it will have to wait another time for her. On Cere's side of how Order 66 happened to her, she told the ginger haired Jedi Padawan that she was once a Jedi Master to a young Padawan named Trilla Suduri. Making a sacrificing decision to leave her Padawan and a few younglings who were in hiding, Cere was caught by the Troopers and taken to their base where she was tortured and forced to give up the other's location. But during a prison break, she managed to escape that horrible place and hid away from the Empire.

"Your Padawan… What happened to her? Did she make it out alive?" Cal asked as he was sitting down in his bed while Cere was looking away for a second, knowing that she was feeling down about what happened during The Purge.

"No…" Cere answered quietly, knowing that she couldn't do anything to save her or anyone else. "She did. Cal… there's a reason why you must protect Kairi away from the Empire. But I will tell you when the time is right." She stated.

"Is it something that I should not know at the moment?" Cal asked, before Cere looked back at him.

"It's the truth that she probably cannot handle. She is now in fear, Cal. I can feel it. We need to do this journey quickly or the Empire will be one step ahead of us." Cere explained, before leaving Cal's room.

Cal was sitting there in deep thought, thinking about what Cere told him. Kairi's life could be in danger soon if she was more involved with the journey.

But he wanted to know the reason why. What is it about Kairi which makes her different? Or why she must be protected at all times?

He needed answers soon before its too late.


	13. New Planet, New Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal, Kairi and the rest of the team arrive on Kashyyyk. But what could possibly go wrong?

With Cere and Greez outside of the Mantis, the two Jedi Padawans decided to take a small break.

After getting a small snack and a glass of blue milk, Kairi was left in the living room part of the ship while Cal was in the sleeping quarters, working on his lightsaber on the workbench.

Kairi was staring at the holo-like planets of Zeffo and Bogano on the holotable as BD-1 was with her. Remember a red sun from when she was inside of the Vault in Bogano, Kairi tried to search up _'red sun planets'_ , until she saw Cal walking towards her.

Panicking, she quickly deleted it in the search bar, before looking back up at the holotable.

"Uh, where are we going again?" Kairi asked, as she was trying to ask her scared look.

"Kairi, you have to stay calm. It's not alright to be in fear." Cal explained.

"I know. But somehow, I got this funny feeling that the next planet we land on will have more strange creatures that I don't even know and more of the Empire searching for us. It's too much on me. I wish we were back at home on Bracca." Kairi explained, as she was leaning against the holotable with both of her hands.

"I wish for the same thing too. But there's no turning back for us, Kai. We have to accept it. Even Prauf's death. He helped us out until the very end." Cal responded, before Kairi rested her head on his poncho.

"I'm trying not to fear death. Or even the dark side, Cal. But it's hard." Kairi replied quietly, before Cal wrapped his arms around her gently while rubbing her back.

She slowly wrapped her arms around him, before hiding her face into it.

"I know… I know." Cal whispered.

* * *

With everyone back on the ship after when Greez managed to repair his ship, Cal set the course for Kashyyyk.

"I always wanted to go to Kashyyyk. I never met a Wookie before." Kairi explained as she sat down in her chair in the cockpit of the Mantis.

"You never get out much, do you?" Greez asked.

"I was always sheltered away from the outside world by my Master. I don't know why, but I think it was his way of protecting me." Kairi explained as she had one leg crossed.

"Master Sotah has always been with that. He was once an open minded Jedi Knight before he became a Master to his first Padawan." Cere explained.

"I thought I was his first. Who was the Padawan before me?" Kairi asked as she was confused.

"I'm not supposed to mention his name. But he was once a Jedi before he turned Sith. There's more to that story another time, Kairi." Cere stated.

"Okay, kid. Get in your chair. It's time to land." Greez stated, as they were about to jump out of hyperspace, before Cal sat down.

* * *

Arriving just outside of the atmosphere of the planet Kashyyyk, the group immediately took notice of a few ships which belonged to the Empire.

"Oh no!" Kairi responded in shock, before she turned invisible after she stood up from her chair.

"Kairi, no, don't do that." Cal told her as he thought that Kairi was using the Force to hide herself.

But just as he remembered, he couldn't feel her presence from behind like he would.

"Never mind." Cal stated before turning back around to start looking at the Empire's ships. "Tell me we're not going through that." He responded, as Kairi moved closer to get a better look.

"Captain, keep your power signature low and act like we belong." Cere instructed as Kairi looked back at her.

"Just like Bracca. No problem." Greez responded before he smacked Cal's hand away from the switches.

"Hey!" Cal exclaimed, before Kairi laughed at that.

"I don't need another pair of hands. Just please keep your eyes on the scanner. Please?" Greez explained, as Cal looked back at the Latero.

"Alright, alright. Alright." Cal responded before returning back to the scanner, until they all heard a lightsaber switching on from behind.

"Sorry." Kairi whispered as everyone saw her holding her lightsaber while she stayed invisible, before switching it off and putting it back on her belt.

As the Mantis got closer towards Kashyyyk, they managed to get past the enemy's ship, once they started entering the planet.

Flying through the planet, they came to see a bright blue sky along with so many trees surrounding the planet, but a few smoke signals and destroyed Wookie homes were seen from down below, knowing that the Empire was on Kashyyyk and taken over.

"It's so beautiful here… but how?" Kairi stated.

"The Empire has taken control over the planet. They turned the Wookies into imprisoned slaves or displaced them." Cere explained as Kairi looked back at her.

"That's so horrible." Kairi responded… until an enemy ship flew by as everyone was taken aback on how they nearly crashed into it. "What the… Owww, not again!" She exclaimed after landing on her butt.

"Kid, I thought you were watching the scanners!" Greez responded.

"Guerrilla fighters. Wookies and offworlders fighting off the Empire by ambushing an Imperial convoy. Walkers are approaching their positions." Cal announced.

"Could Tarfful be down there?" Kairi asked before revealing herself as she had her hand on Cal's chair.

"Look, you two, Tarfful could be anywhere! Like deep in the ground if we get caught up in that!" Greez explained after rolling his eyes.

"But we don't have any other choice!" Cal responded.

"You got a plan or something?" Greez asked as he looked back at the two Jedi Padawans while Kairi started walking around the cockpit until Cal stood up.

"I got it. Sabotage. We used walkers back on Bracca. Me and Kairi can jack one." Cal explained, before BD-1 jumped onto Kairi's back.

"Ha! Look at this kid! He thinks we're back in the Clone Wars!" Greez laughed before Kairi rolled her eyes.

"I think it's a good plan, old man." Kairi stated in annoyance before running towards Cal and Cere who were by the ship's door ramp.

"Kairi, I think you should stay here, just to be safe." Cere instructed, as Kairi looked at the older woman.

"No. Wherever Cal goes, I go with him. We stick together. It's part of our rules of survival, Cere." Kairi explained, as Cal looked at the short haired Jedi Padawan when he heard one of the rules which he constantly reminds her of for their safety.

"Alright. I'll go by your word. You two be careful." Cere stated, before Cal nodded.

"I'll add that to the plan." Cal responded.

"We will be. Just stay safe here." Kairi explained, before the ramp opened slowly as Cal and Kairi felt the wind blowing inside the ship. As Cal took a few steps ahead onto the raml, he was nearly blown off until Kairi caught him by his left wrist with both hands. "I got you, don't worry." She responded reassuringly, as she slowly moved onto the ramp.

Holding still, Kairi and Cal can see that they had a long jump ahead of them but as long as the two stick together after landing in the water, the two Jedi Padawans should be okay for now.

"If you're jumping now, now it's the best time to do so." Greez responded over their comm links.

"Ready, Kai?" Cal asked loudly over the roaring wind while Kairi's silver eyes widened in shock, before nodding quickly and holding onto Cal's wrist with her eyes closed. "BD? Ready for a swim?" He asked, before the droid beeped in reply as he nodded his head.

They jumped off as Kairi let go of Cal's wrist, before the two pinched their nose before they landed in the lake.

* * *

Kairi was the first to swim up to the surface of The Origin Lake as she started coughing, while trying to stay calm.

"Cal? BD-1?" Kairi called out while looking out for them.

Moving her damp hair out of her face, Kairi saw BD-1 next to her as the droid looked at her.

BD-1 beeped out a question as Kairi smiled.

"Yeah. I'm good. But where's Cal?" She asked, before feeling someone gripping onto her feet until Cal was finally up on the surface of the lake.

Quickly grabbing a piece of log, Kairi immediately held onto it before Cal had BD-1 on his back.

"I can't swim, Cal. Give me a minute to catch up." Kairi stated, before she felt Cal pushing her onto the log.

"Don't worry, I'll push. Just hang on." Cal responded, before Cal started pushing the log.

As the two were navigating their way through the lake, avoiding missiles, blaster shots or any falling debris from the walkers, Kairi immediately grabbed onto the vines that were on the nearest walker leg before Cal followed behind her.

"I miss climbing." Kairi responded, as she was reminded of how she used to be a great climber.

"Brings back times when you climb into trees back on Coruscant." Cal replied with a laugh as he was catching up with her.

"No shoes. No gloves. No problems with me." Kairi explained, before she immediately stopped moving when she was nearly hit by more missiles. "That almost killed me!" She exclaimed, before moving once again.

Reaching toward the top of the walker, Kairi lifted up Cal's hand as he helped him up before walking towards the hatch when a Stormtrooper got shot out of it.

"Ladies first." Cal mocked, before Kairi smirked at him.

"Why thank you." Kairi responded before jumping down the hatch.

Moving out of the way, Cal was behind Kairi before they managed to find a way to the front of the walker's control room after taking care of a few Stormtroopers who were reporting about dead casualties during the ambush.

Walking into the control room, Cal and Kairi slowly snuck up from behind the Stormtroopers who were minding the controls as BD-1 stood in the middle of the two Jedi Padawans.

"I bet they didn't see that coming!" One of them responded

"My family came here on vacation once." The second one stated.

Kairi looked at the Stormtroopers with confusion as she was interested in the conversation that they were having.

"Before the Empire?"

"Yeah… Weird to be back like this."

Kairi had both of her hands covering her mouth, before looking back at Cal who was giving her a signal.

He moved closer to her left ear which caused Kairi's cheeks to glow a light red.

"Use your invisibility and knock them out." Cal whispered.

Kairi nodded with a smile, before Cal watched her turn invisible until both of her hands were resting on the back of the Stormtroopers' helmets, slamming their heads down.

"Success!" Kairi responded, before pulling the Stormtrooper in the passenger side seat out while Cal pulled the other one out.

"Good job, Kai." Cal praised, before he sat down in front of the controllers, as BD-1 was next to Kairi.

Figuring out what to turn on, Kairi waited on Cal before she jumped when she saw a hologram of a Stormtrooper calling in.

 _"Report! What's happening? You inviolated Imperial Code Protocol Z-207-"_ The hologram of the Stormtrooper stated after seeing both Cal and Kairi.

"Can one of you shut that guy up?" Cal asked.

_"Stand down-"_

BD-1 used his scomp link to drill a hole into the panel which made it stop.

"Scared me there." Kairi stated before relaxing back, as she pushed the throttle and the walker started moving.

"Let's do this." Cal responded with a smile and Kairi did the same as she nodded.

As Cal started moving the AT-AT, he started firing the missiles while Kairi was keeping her eyes open for anything in their path as BD-1 was hoping all around her side.

The two fought their way through the lake, blowing up Imperial ships, walkers and even Stormtroopers, until someone with metal armor used a grappling hook to land onto the walker which caught Cal and Kairi's attention.

"Hey! Who are you?" He asked.

"Someone who just brought an AT-AT to the table. Who are you?" Cal asked back.

"Someone who just wants to make the Empire angry. We're advancing onto a landing pad, wouldn't mind the extra fire support." He stated.

"Copy that!" Kairi responded, before he left.

When the two made it towards the landing pad after taking out a bridge that had Stormtroopers on it, Cal continued to fire missiles at the Stormtroopers, before Kairi noticed an enemy ship in front of them who was trying to flee.

"Cal!" Kairi cried as she pointed towards an enemy ship that was about to crash into them, but in a quick and instant way… she pulled the ginger haired Jedi Padawan away from the controllers until the ship impacted the AT-AT.

Glass flowen everywhere as Cal and BD-1 held on tight when the walker crashed onto the ground. Smoke started filling up as Cal started to look for Kairi who saved him at the last minute.

To his shocking surprise, Kairi's head was bleeding on the left side as a glass shard was sticking out. Quickly pulling Kairi out of the chair, he heard her make noise as she managed to open her silver eyes to stare at his green ones.

"We… did it!" Kairi responded gently, thinking that she got a headache from the impact.

"Come let's get you out." Cal stated, before he opened the hatch door, knowing he was trying to keep Kairi calm without her knowing about the large glass shard.

He climbed out of it before BD-1 jumped out of it, before Cal managed to pull Kairi out of the walker until he had her on his back.

"Are you okay, BD?" Cal asked after BD-1 jumped out of the hatch door.

BD-1 trilled and beeped to Cal before looking back at Kairi who had a tired smile on her face.

"Yeah! Again!" Kairi responded, knowing that the bi pedal droid wants to get into another walker and cause more destruction to the Empire.

"No, you two, we're not doing that again." Cal responded with a laugh, before lifting up Kairi as he noticed that she was slipping off.

"Old times, Cal… old times." Kairi responded as she managed to wrap her arms around him while resting her head sideways. "I have this pounding headache… and some horn growing out of my head." She stated before lightly touching the glass shard.

"You two just destroyed a perfectly good walker." The man from earlier responded as he walked up to the two Jedi Padawans and the bi pedal droid who was next to his owners. "She doesn't look too good. Is she alright." He asked.

"She needs help quickly. There's a glass shard in her head." Cal stated as Kairi started touching it again.

"Cal… what is this?" Kairi asked as she started to feel tired…

* * *

_**A/N: This girl can't even catch a break getting hurt or placing herself in front of enemy lines! The next few chapters will be different from the story mode version. So, get ready!** _


	14. Loneliness Is Her Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kairi is left alone with her head injury while Cal is off to go help out in Kashyyyk, she remembers her past with Youngling Cal while her surgery is taken place.

_**A/N: Your favorite author here! Since I'm back with writing more of this story, I have some fun facts to share with you in each chapter. I don't know how many, but some of them are how I created Kairi, how I created each chapter before the final draft, a fun fact about me and this game I love, or maybe something about Kairi and other OC's in this story!** _

_**One or maybe two will be at the bottom of every chapter!** _

_**So, let's get back to the galaxy!**_ "

* * *

"How many fingers am I holding up, kid?" Greez asked as Kairi can see multiple Laterons while she tried to keep her eyes still.

"Ahhh…. Mmmm… Eight?" Kairi hummed a bit, before answering.

Greez looked at his fingers which he was holding up 3 of them, before turning to the doctor.

"What can you do, doc?" Cal asked, before Kairi started lifting up her feet and started moving them in a walking motion. "Kairi, put your feet down." He stated after noticing as he turned back to look at the wounded Jedi who was resting her body on a medical bed.

"Weeeee…" Kairi responded to herself in the tone of a quiet but happy Youngling.

"You oughta teach her some manners, Cal." Greez grumbled. "She'd already call me an old man, walking into my ship every time with mud on her feet and even not doing this." He explained as he was talking off topic.

"No, it's normal for her to act like this. I've given her a sedative where she may feel off in the beginning. I can reassure you that Kairi will do just fine after surgery. I just need her to go to sleep… but I can tell she's fighting it." A blonde haired nurse named Skylari who wore her partisan outfit underneath a white coat explained as Kairi kept her tired eyes on her feet.

"I can use a frying pan on her, if that'll work." Greez suggested, as Kairi turned to him.

"Captain, you can't be that serious." Cere responded as she was shocked about Greez's suggestion.

"What? It's a little payback for the way she lifted me up in the air." Greez explained.

"That will put her into a comatose state. And you need her on your Jedi journey right?" Skylari responded, before Kairi felt Cal's hand gently patting the top of her head.

Wincing her eyes closed, Cal moved his hand away, knowing that she was battling a headache from the glass shard wound.

"We do. We need her back in action soon." Cal explained, before Cere quickly took Kairi's lightsaber away when the emitter was pointing towards her face.

"Well, here's what I can do. Cal, you go on ahead and meet up with Saw who is waiting for you. I'll stay here and do the surgery. Once she is out of it, Cere will let you know." Skylari responded before she walked away from the group.

Cal nodded, before he felt a tug on his poncho to see Kairi who was stopping him from leaving.

"Hey… I'm going to be okay. Don't worry, Kairi. I will return. Cere and Greez are here as well. Just stay calm and let Skylari help you get better. Okay?" Cal responded gently as he held Kairi's left hand with his gloved hand.

Then Kairi reached up and gently touched his face while using her thumb to rub his cheek. Slowly removing her hand, Kairi smiled gently before she felt a stinging needle injecting into her left wrist.

"Okay… there we go. There we go." Skylari responded quietly as she kept her eyes on Kairi's face.

Kairi's silver eyes widened as her arm was placed back down onto her side where she was resting on the cot.

"We're here, Kairi. Just stay calm…" Cere's voice was heard as everyone started to get blurry.

"Mhm…" Kairi hummed as her own voice echoed before she saw Cal and BD-1 walking away and out of the medical tent.

Reaching out for Cal with the same hand that she touched his cheek with, Kairi felt her that the world turned silent as her now heavy eyelids were closing…

* * *

_"If you want to be a Jedi, then you start acting like one instead of being an outsider!"_

_"Aww, look at her, she's going to cry!"_

_"She's going to the dark side with the way she is!"_

_"Ha, ha, she's going to be a Sith!"_

_Youngling Kairi was standing in front of a group of other Younglings who interrupted her meditation since she was in the gardens of the Jedi Temple._

_Kairi was just about to cry as she couldn't take anymore of the constant teasing and bullying until she covered her face with both of her hands. As she started crying quietly, Kairi felt her forehead symbol starting to glow when a nearby tree vine almost swatted one of the kids._

_"Hey! Master Sealmar is looking for you three." A boy with ginger hair responded as he ran towards the group._

_Youngling Kairi only caught a small glimpse at him, before hiding her face behind her hands once more._

_The group's eyes widened, thinking that they were in trouble before they ran off._

_The boy with ginger hair turned around to face Kairi, but she was gone._

_As he started looking for her, he could feel her presence from the Force before he walked up to the nearby tree. Seeing a small foot sticking out from a tree branch, he decided to climb up. Once he made it up, Kairi immediately started to try and climb again, until she almost tripped, which he quickly saved her by pulling her back onto the tree branch from where he was._

_"Are you okay?" He asked._

_Kairi nodded as she decided to keep quiet._

_She sat down on the branch which she turned around to face him, but kept her face down._

_"You're a quick climber. But you have to be more careful. You might hurt yourself…" He explained before seeing that her brown boots were not on her feet which was out of the Jedi dress code. "Where are your shoes? Did they take them away from you?" He asked once more._

_"You're not gonna tell on me or pick fun of me, aren't you?" Kairi asked after being silent._

_"No, I won't do that to you. I'm not like them." He explained, before noticing her freshly made flower headband which she created earlier. "Kairi Jabami is your name, isn't it?" He asked before her silver eyes looked up at him, which no other Youngling never guessed her name or even called her by it beside her teasing names._

_"Yeah… Just Kairi, okay?" She stated before her cheek started to blush._

_"Okay 'Just Kairi'. I'm Cal Kestis. But just Cal." He introduced himself, before he had his hand out for Kairi to shake it._

_Kairi smiled gently before she shook his hand._

_"Don't worry. They're just jealous because you're a great learner with the Force. Don't listen to them. They're very bad at training, you wouldn't believe it!" Cal explained, which causes Kairi to giggle…_

* * *

_As time went on, Cal and Kairi had moments together being friends at the Jedi Temple. Sometimes they even study and train together or maybe just to get fresh air in the gardens to have conversations._

_They were both fit together like puzzle pieces._

_They stay together with their hands clasping together and even sharing hugs and laughter._

_But all of a sudden, their paths have to come to an end._

_On the day of the Gathering, they were getting their kyber crystals on Ilum to create their lightsabers, but Cal knew Kairi was in danger as she adventures out into the crystal caves alone without staying with the group._

_"Kairi, no!" Cal called out as he saw Kairi climbing up an icy structure, but to the 10 year old Jedi Padawan, she saw her kyber crystal who was calling out to her._

_"I got it!" Kairi exclaimed after she managed to pull it out and showed it to Cal from above._

_Hearing the ice breaking around her, Kairi accidentally slipped off as she fell onto a frozen ice lake that happens to be a thin layer of ice._

_As she tried to get up, Cal immediately stopped her from moving._

_"No, Kairi, don't get up. Just crawl to me!" Cal responded frighteningly, before he tried to reach out for her._

_With her right hand reaching towards his left one, they were only inches away from their warm touch… until the ice broke around the 10 year old Jedi Padawan as her body sunk down deep until the frozen lake water._

_"No!"_

_Those were the last words she heard from Youngling Cal Kestis before she started suffering from hyperthermia…_

* * *

_It's been a week since that incident on Ilum, Kairi believed that she was unconscious for only one day. The doctors believe that she was confused at first knowing she suffered a broken jaw along with hyperthermia but they believe that she will pull a full recovery within a matter of days._

_When she left the recovery ward of the Jedi Temple, Kairi decided to go see Cal and show off her lightsaber which she managed to build. Switching it on, Kairi stared at the purple glowing blade as a smile appeared on her face before looking back at the picture she drew during her recovery._

_In front of Cal's room, Kairi knocked before walking in._

_As she walked in, the room was empty. Kairi held her picture close, before she heard someone from behind._

_"Cal?" Kairi responded before she turned around with her wide silver eyes._

_"There you are, Kairi. You should be resting in your room. You will be returning back to your studies tomorrow." Master Deepa responded after placing her hand on Kairi's left shoulder while she got down to her height by one knee._

_"Yes, Master Deepa." Kairi replied before looking down at the picture and speaking up again. "Master Deepa? Where is Cal? He's not in his room. And it's empty…" Kairi asked as she was holding the drawn picture of her and Cal holding hands as they had their lightsabers in their other hands._

_"I'm afraid Cal is no longer with us here on Coruscant, Young Kairi. He has been chosen by his Master. Cal Kestis had graduated into a Padawan." Master Deepa explained as Kairi gripped onto the picture with both hands before the Jedi Master rested her hand on Kairi's left shoulder. "In a few years in time, you will be chosen as well. Don't worry. Do not live in fear, young one. You must get rid of that feeling." She responded, before Kairi nodded until she went back to her room._

_Once the doors closed behind her, Kairi walked toward her bed as she let her picture drop to the floor._

_Landing her small body onto the bed, Kairi started sobbing through the blankets and pillows to mask her cries, knowing that she lost her friend…_

* * *

"Aahh!" Kairi screamed after quickly raising her body upright when she woke up from her sleep. Breathing in and out slowly, Kairi looked around as she was in her private medical tent where her surgery and recovery took place. "Bad dream…" She stated to herself as she felt bandages around her head with her right hand when she gently rubbed it.

Outside of her tent, she can see a fire burning indicating that she was at a recovery campsite.

Slowly getting up, Kairi went outside as she found out that it was nighttime on Kashyyyk.

 _"How long was I out?"_ Kairi thought to herself.

As she stood in front of the fire, she found out that her white skirt and her black shirt was taken off earlier when she was left wearing a black tank top, her shorts and her long burgundy thigh high leg warmers.

Rubbing her cold hands together, Kairi had her small hands out towards the fire as she stood there in deep thought.

_"Our enemies are getting stronger every second. As my Padawan you will overcome it. Do not let your feelings take control over your Jedi way. You must learn to get stronger. There is no try. It's either do it or fail, my apprentice."_

"It's either do it or fail…" Kairi whispered to herself, knowing that Master Rin Sotah's words ranged throughout her head after many years of being in hiding.

Looking up at the moon, Kairi slowly stood up before closing her eyes while balling her hands up into fists.

"I will get stronger, Master. You and others have to believe in me." Kairi whispered, tears ran down her face before she wiped them off.

Looking down at the fire, she noticed something that was around her neck as she saw her kyber crystal necklace. Gently lifting up the small crystal, she stared at it before placing it back down on her chest and headed back inside of her tent to get her lightsaber and her bow and arrows.

"I am a Jedi. Not a scared little girl anymore." Kairi whispered before having her bow and arrows behind her back and her lightsaber on her shorts belt.

Leaving the campsite, Kairi was unaware that someone in a far away distance saw her running off deep into the forest of Kashyyyk.

"This will catch them off guard… We have an enemy running away from those rebel campsites… Yes, I think it's one of the Jedi… Short black hair, pale skin, carrying multiple weapons." A Stormtrooper responded as he was looking through thermal binoculars, before he called it in…

* * *

_**Fun Fact Time!: Did you know that Kairi means (ocean or sea) or (melody) in French?** _


	15. Kairi's Holocron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kairi tries to train herself, a mysterious voice was calling out to her and revealed one part about her past.

Running deep into the Kashyyyk forest, Kairi wanted to get away from the others even after waking up from her recovering sleep. 

In order for her to be stronger and not have Cal's protection anymore, she wanted to prove to everyone that she can face her own battles and have that perfect Jedi mindset at the moment. 

Feeling the grass underneath her bare feet as she ran, a smile was on her face as she felt like she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted just like back on Coruscant during her small breaks.

Hearing a waterfall nearby, Kairi headed towards the loud roaring sound of falling water as she managed to find her way to the bottom of it where there was a huge lake underneath it.

"Wow…" Kairi whispered, as she held her bow and arrows close to her, before heading towards the lake. "This looks like the perfect place for me to train and meditate. Our enemies are getting stronger and I must have the courage to face them." She responded to herself once more, after placing her bow and arrows down next to a log.

Moving closer to the water, Kairi noticed a dead Stormtrooper floating in the lake which gave her an idea. Quickly grabbing vines and some driftwood, she quickly tied the dead Trooper onto it before using her strength to lift it up and stick the wood into the grassy ground.

"Perfect." She whispered as she wiped her dirty hands off and had her hands on her hips.

As she was just about to light a fire with some leftover wood, Kairi felt something off… 

Like someone or something was calling out to her from behind. 

Slowly turning around, Kairi heard someone singing quietly in a strange language, but she somehow recognized it.

"That's… a Nightsister's voice." Kairi whispered, thinking it was in a Dathomirian language.

Moving closer towards the lake, Kairi felt her forehead symbol starting to glow as she narrowed her eyes at the watery pool until she saw something in the water.

She saw a glowing green cube that was at the bottom of the lake which happens to be a Jedi Holocron.

"A holocron…" Kairi responded, thinking that this was the clue of finding out about her hidden past. "But what does a Nightsister have to do with a holocron? Their magik is dark." She whispered to herself, before she saw Iris who appeared in front of her in the water.

_ "Here… let me help you, Young Jedi." _ Iris responded in a gentle voice, before Kairi slowly took her hand which led her to having her feet in the water. _ "Don't worry… You won't drown. I'm here to protect you." _ She stated, before Iris used the Force to pull a log over in front of Kairi to use as support.

Gently holding on, Kairi slowly followed Iris into the middle of the lake… until the 16 year old Jedi Padawan shrieked out when she got electrocuted from behind, causing her to turn her head while holding onto her stinging left shoulder.

"Well, well, a Jedi! I've been looking for you all day." A Purge Trooper with an Electrostaff responded as he was staring at Kairi through his helmet, which caused the 16 year old silver eyes to widen in shock of this unknown enemy.

"Kairi, swim away!" 

Cal's voice was heard as he emerged from the trees to do a surprise jump attack, managing to land a strike at the Purge Trooper.

"Oh there's two now?" The Purge Trooper asked tauntingly as Kairi tried to swim away from the shore while Iris was helping her push the log. 

Kicking her feet, Kairi managed to get back to using the log as a support before the two made it to the middle of the lake.

"Wait, I don't have a underwater breather." Kairi informed the Force Ghost as she still kept her arms onto the log.

_"Don't need one."_ Iris responded.

"Huh?" Kairi started to say, before Iris took control of the younger Jedi's body as her silver eyes were rolled to the back of her head.

Diving down deep and away from the brawl that was still taking place upon the shore, Cal managed to parry each one of his attacks and quickly avoided his heavy swing attack, until the ginger haired Jedi Padawan finally struck back. With the Purge Trooper looking down at his feet, Cal rolled over on his back before he swung his lightsaber at him for the final fatal attack.

Cal looked back at the now dead Purge Trooper who attacked Kairi, before he turned back to the lake, hoping to find the 16 year old Jedi Padawan.

But his emerald green eyes widened in shock as he saw the same floating log in the middle of the lake and Kairi was nowhere to be seen once he was reminded of how she couldn't swim.

"Kairi! BD, help me find her!" Cal exclaimed after he ran into the lake and started swimming.

BD-1 trilled and chirped out Kairi's name as Cal made it towards the lake where he thought Kairi had drowned… until he saw water bubbles forming next to him before Kairi had made it back to the surface with the holocron in both of her hands.

BD-1 trilled a surprised tone as Cal saw her.

"Kairi?" 

Cal called out as he had his hands on underneath her shoulders which caused Iris to jump out of Kairi's body and her eyes returned back to normal. Shaking the feeling of being controlled off, Kairi blinked her eyes a few times before seeing Cal which he immediately hugged the 16 year old Jedi Padawan. 

Her eyes began to widen when Cal wrapped his arms around her while feeling his gloved hand running through her soaking wet black hair.

"Oh, I thought you were gone…" Cal responded as he began to calm down, before looking back at Kairi.

"Cal… I knew that you would come and save me. But what was that?" Kairi asked, before looking at the dead Purge Trooper who was now being washed away by the shore and into the lake.

"They are called Purge Troopers." Cal started to explain, before BD-1 jumped onto Kairi's back as the 16 year old Jedi Padawan rode on Cal's back until they were back to the shore. "They are stronger than the Stormtroopers from earlier. They loved to take out any Jedi who gets in their way." He explained once more as Kairi climbed off and sat down on the ground, unaware that she still had the holocron in her hands.

Smiling down at it, Kairi knew that she was ready to find out the clue about her past.

"Um… Cal, can you…" Kairi started to ask, as she showed him the holocron in her hands.

"Where did you get that?" Cal asked, before he noticed that there was an echo surrounding it.

He held out his hand as he felt the echo coming towards him, before he started to hear a woman who was softly humming a lullaby along with a baby cooing quietly.

_ "This is your father, little one. He will be soon. I just can't wait for Rin to meet you."  _

"Cal?" Kairi asked quietly, as Cal knew he felt the emotion of the echo that once happened in the past.

"There was a mother and her baby. The baby was just born here in Kashyyyk, but the mother wasn't human. Kairi… did you know that your Master had a child?" Cal explained before he asked about Kairi's Jedi Master.

Kairi already knew about her Master who had a secret relationship with someone and had a child, but Cal doesn't even know the truth. For now, knowing that Iris watching on how Kairi is choosing her words, she decided to lie about it.

"No…" Kairi lied as she was trying to cover it up. "All I knew is that… he had another Padawan before me just like Cere told me. And he's been more secretive since I was chosen to be his second Padawan. Is there a possibility that this secret child he had is still alive?" She asked as she looked back up at him.

"We don't know the true answer, Kairi. This birth happened a long time ago. And we're not sure of the facts about Master Sotah. " Cal explained, before Kairi stood up. "But why did you find this?" He asked as he remained on the grassy ground.

"It was… calling out to me. It's a key to part of my past." Kairi answered, before she crossed her arms. "Cal Kestis… I think it's time for me to reveal the truth." She stated before she looked up at the glowing moon.

"Go ahead. I'm listening." Cal stated, before Kairi looked back at him.

Before Kairi could have said anything, she and Cal started to create a fire as they decided to sit down around it. Cal surprised Kairi with a few snacks from the Mantis and even a bowl of Greez's homemade stew.

With BD-1 resting in Kairi's lap, it only took her a few seconds before she spoke up again while she took a few spoonfuls of the stew into her mouth.

"Cal, when I was 6 year old… I did not remember anything about my past. My memories started when I was on my way to Coruscant. I was in Cere's arms as she held me close. I did not remember anything before that, but somehow… I think I have parents who are alive today." Kairi explained before she started drinking blue milk which Cal poured out for her. "If they were Jedi or not, I still want to meet them. To tell you the truth… someone has been helping during this journey… and I don't know if you will understand it or call me crazy or whatever-" She responded as she was looking down at BD-1's head until Cal rested his hand on top of Kairi's left one.

Looking back up at Cal, Kairi can see the kindness in his green eyes. She can tell that they were sparkling with reassurance. 

It had made her heart flutter, seeing those beautiful green eyes he possessed.

"I have already known all along, Kairi." Cal stated quietly, before looking up at the sky, thinking that Iris was looking down at the two from above. "Thank you, Iris. Please help me keep an eye on her." He responded, before Kairi looked to see the Force Ghost who nodded until she disappeared.

"How long?" Kairi asked.

"Since Bogano. There was an echo around the lightsaber. She wanted to be a Jedi so she will be able to protect her and Master Sotah's child." Cal answered, referring to the lightsaber that was on the ground next to Kairi's bow and arrows.

"I see…" Kairi whispered.

"But I can tell that she was devastated. She thinks she failed to protect and save her family. There was true emotion running through the echo." Cal explained as Kairi picked up the lightsaber and examined its ancient design.

"Now that you've mentioned it. I think Iris is more of a Force wielder. But I don't know why she has chosen me..." Kairi responded, before putting it back on her belt. "You… you don't think I'm weird? Like having a Force Ghost like her follow me around to guide me and such." She asked as she kept her eyes on Cal's hand which was still resting on her left hand.

"I don't think you are strange. You are a talented Jedi. I admit that you need more training just like me. But you have a strong bond with the Force." Cal confessed before he made her look up at him by having his other hand slowly lift up Kairi's chin.

Her silver eyes were back to staring up at his soft green ones before Kairi slowly moved her right hand towards his gloved hand that was covering her other hand, resting on top of it.

"Cal… I… I… I…" Kairi tried to say with all of her courage which was building up inside as she thought her own heart was going to explode out of his chest.

_ "Don't mess this up! But Jedi are not supposed to have attachments! Someone please help me!"  _ Kairi thought to herself as she tried to breathe in and out, but she was holding it in.

Cal took a bold move before he rested his forehead against Kairi's, as their noses began to touch.

"What is it?" Cal whispered.

Feeling her heart beating quickly with her cheeks glowing a blushing red color, Kairi did the next thing if this ever happens…

With her eyes rolled back, she fell backwards as she landed onto the ground, indicating she passed out in shock.

BD-1 started beeping as he used his blue lens to examine her.

"I think she'll be okay. For now. That was strange for her to do." Cal answered, before looking at the fire as BD-1 looked back at the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

* * *

**_A/N: Real smooth, Kairi! Really! Everyone let's facepalm for her._ **

**_Fun Fact Time: When I tried to find the perfect name for a female character that people will remember Kairi's, her first draft name was Sarada Lens… It sounds weird right? But when I was watching WWE, a wrestler named Kairi Sane was leaving the ring to be at home with her family in Japan. In honoring her since she is one of my favorites, I chose Kairi as her name and her last name Jabami happens to come from Yumeko Jabami from off of the Netflix anime, Kakegurui._ **

**_Fun Fact #2 Time!: Creating Kairi's attire was kinda hard work. As I was watching the Star Wars movies, I was trying to go for a Rey look, but I didn't want to copy her. So, I looked up a different Fandom I like, until I got the idea of her wearing a black top, a white shirt and leggings to wear underneath. As Kairi would call her skirt "a combat skirt" which reminded her of her Jedi attire before the Purge, like how Cal wore ponchos and his clothes._ **


	16. Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Kairi heads back to Bogano for a small break from the journey.

**_A/N: Some of you may hate me for cutting off the part when Kairi didn't get the chance to see Kashyyyk and help Cal with saving the Wookies. But I promise you that the next time they go back to Kashyyyk, Kairi will be having her chance to explore it._ **

**_Now, back to the galaxy!_ **

* * *

The very next morning, Cal and Kairi returned back to the landing pad where Cere and Greez were waiting on them. 

But knowing that Kairi hasn't seen much of Kashyyyk, she ended up getting one of the things done on her list, which was to meet a Wookie.

Cal watched as Kairi was smothered with a hug by a Wookie while she was laughing at how soft and gentle they are.

A smile appeared on his face before Saw walked towards him.

"Looks like she's back to normal after that wreck." Saw responded.

"Yeah, she is. Kairi did have a rough night. Another Purge Trooper showed up and attacked her before he tried to kill her." Cal explained.

"You said that she is a Jedi too, right?" Saw asked.

"Why are you asking?" Cal asked as he was getting suspicious.

"No reason. She would have been part of our team if she didn't get injured by that walker." Saw explained, before he turned back around to face Cal. "You hear stories. Tales. That can be heard all across the galaxy. You've seen what the Empire has done to Kashyyyk. My partisans and I could have you two Jedi on our team." He explained.

Cal looked back at Kairi as she was riding on the back of one of the Wookies knowing that she was distracted at the moment.

"We're honored but… We have our own mission that we cannot walk away from." Cal answered, before looking back at Saw.

"My offer still stands. Keep that in mind." Saw sighed, before he walked away.

The group started to depart from Kashyyyk after when Kairi managed to jump up to give a Wookie a high five who still loved having the young Jedi Padawan around.

* * *

As Kairi got back in the Mantis, Cal was setting the course to Bogano which caught her off guard.

"Bogano? Why are we heading back?" Kairi asked as she sat down in her chair in the cockpit of the Mantis.

"I told Cal that there might be useful supplies there. Wouldn't catch a small break since we don't have the Empire to worry about at the moment." Greez explained as he started taking off from the landing pad and into hyperspace.

"Maybe we can find something more about Cordova. You were his Padawan, weren't you Cere?" Kairi asked.

"Of course. Even though he was a loner, he was still a great Master. He even took me out on many of his adventures across the galaxy. It was educational, but in the end, he severed his purpose by creating that list." Cere explained.

"Let me tell you something. This Cordova guy is putting a wear and tear on my ship." Greez stated.

"I'm sure your ship will be fine. It hasn't let us down before." Kairi responded.

"Beside the time we nearly got killed in that storm." Cal stated, before he sat down in the passenger chair next to Greez as BD-1 was staring outside.

"Now you too?!" Greez exclaimed which caused Kairi to giggle while hiding her face.

After landing in Bogano, Kairi was the first one out of the ship as Cal followed her out.

"Mmm… so great to be back here." Kairi responded as she started stretching her arms out, while taking in the fresh air and the Bogano sun.

"Come with me. I have something to show you." Cal informed the short haired Jedi Padawan as he decided to lead the way.

* * *

Cal had led Kairi to the Hermits Abode as she followed him into the room where the huge fan was still working. Quickly using the Force to slow it down, the two made it inside as Cal was at the workbench towards her right.

"I've decided to make something for your bow and arrows." Cal responded, before he pulled out a few small bags that were tied up. "If you want to fight with fire, you are going to do the same back." He stated, before Kairi pulled out her bow and arrow and watched as Cal tied up the first small back which she was confused about.

"Okay… so what should I do next?" Kairi asked as she had her bow and arrows ready to aim.

"Try it out and you will see." Cal stated with a smile.

Kairi nodded before using the Force to slow down the moving fan as a Bograt started digging himself out of the ground, before he started heading his way toward her. 

Aiming her bow and arrows at the Bograt while avoiding each sharp nail attack, Kairi saw the small bag smoking before she let go of the arrow which ignited it, causing it to be a fire arrow.

The fire arrow pierced into the Bograt's shell as it was screeching out in pain since it was on fire. Kairi quickly moved away from it as she was surprised to see how Cal managed to find materials on Kashyyyk to help improve her secondary weapon.

"No way!" Kairi exclaimed, before putting her bow and arrows away as Cal walked towards her.

"You like it?" Cal asked with a smirk.

"Like it? I love it!" Kairi exclaimed.

Before she noticed a bogling who decided to peek its head out of the hole until it caught Kairi's attention.

"Hey-" Kairi started to say, before the bogling quickly got scared and dug back inside the hole to hide itself. "Awww." She pouted.

"I'm sure it will be okay. After all, they're harmless." Cal stated reassuringly, before Kairi nodded.

* * *

The two left the Hermit Adobe's workshop after finding a bedroom which probably belongs to Eno Cordova himself. 

Cere explained over the comm link that she had fond memories of him over their holo chest board games as Kairi decided to relax back into the bed while Cal found another chest when it found a lightsaber part.

On the rooftop of the Hemit Adobe, Kairi was staring at the great creature who was resting in peace from a distance as she decided to take notes and sketch it out. 

Hearing Cal's footsteps from behind, she stopped drawing once his shadow appeared over her and her journal.

"Having fun there?" Kairi asked after rolling her eyes while smirking to herself

"Can I have a look?" Cal asked.

"Just only at this page. Not the others." Kairi stated, before she started shading it in.

Cal raised an eyebrow as he got a better look at the sketch, unaware that Kairi was talented with her drawing skills. He always remembers Kairi drawing pictures back on Coruscant when she was a Youngling. But the ginger haired Jedi never took notice of her talent until now after so many years.

"All done." Kairi whispered, before she put her book away. "Hey… um, Cal? Can I ask you something?" She asked after turning back around to face him, but she was unaware of how close Cal was which caused her to look up at him with her widened silver eyes and glowing red cheeks.

Backing away slowly just to have her space, Kairi had her hands behind her back in a clasped hold, before speaking up again once her shyness disappeared.

"I was wondering… if you can train me?" She asked after finding the right words. 

"Train you?" Cal asked as he was confused.

"Yeah. Like the ways of the Force. Or practice on my lightsaber swings. I want to be more helpful. Not always cowering in fear and waiting for you to help me." Kairi explained, before she pulled out her lightsaber as she held it out to Cal. "You told me Cere cut herself off from the Force and I don't know anyone else who can help me. Please, Cal. I want to get stronger." She stated.

"It's not about being stronger. That's the dark side way. You should know what the Jedi code is. But since you're my friend, I'll see what I can do. You did help me out once and I own you one." Cal answered, before a smile appeared on Kairi's face.

* * *

Standing away from each other in a distance, Cal and Kairi were waiting on each other to do the first move as the winds of Bogano blew through them. Cal's Bogano Dawn poncho danced with the winds as it showed his right hand slowly reaching out for his lightsaber.

BD-1 was watching back and forth at the two, knowing that things were going to get serious during their training.

Narrowing her silver eyes at Cal's hand, Kairi slowly had her fingers touching her hilt as she waited. With one foot ahead of the other, she decided to make her move before using the Force to push a Splorx in front of Cal to distract him. With his green eyes on the giant bug, Kairi pulled out her lightsaber as Cal immediately heard the sound of it. Cutting the giant bug in half after switching his lightsaber on, Kairi ran towards Cal with her lightsaber in her right hand before the two clashed together.

"Nice distraction. But you're letting me know ahead that you're coming towards me." Cal responded as he looked at Kairi's narrowing silver eyes. "You're showing anger. Loosen your face more." He stated, before he pushed Kairi back with his lightsaber as the 16 year old Jedi Padawan rolled away from him.

"Okay…" Kairi whispered as she relaxed her face.

Slowly getting back up, Kairi got into her lightsaber dueling stance which was the lightsaber was in front of her as her other hand was holding up a stopping motion.

"Let's do this, Kestis." Kairi responded.

"If you say so, Jabami." Cal replied as he got into his lightsaber dueling stance.

The two ran towards each other as Kairi gave out a battle yell when they started clashing their lightsabers together. Parrying each lightsaber clashing, Cal was slowly moving back when Kairi had the advantage. He could tell that Kairi was being more aggressive with her strikes. She was faster as she was trying to catch Cal off guard until he slowed her down with the Force. He immediately did a swift kick to make the 16 year old Jedi Padawan trip and landed on her side which worked. Seeing that Cal caught her off guard, Kairi rolled away as she ran back towards her lightsaber which she immediately picked up.

Returning back to Cal, Kairi slowed him down before pushing his lightsaber out of his hand and immediately kicked his chest with both feet.

Stumbling back, Cal landed on his back before Kairi had his lightsaber in her other hand.

"Ha, ha, I win." Kairi teased.

"Not quite." Cal stated, before using Force Push to launch Kairi away as she gave out a started cry.

"Hey!" Kairi retorted, before she felt her anger take control which made her eyes glow a bright green as she stood back up. 

With both of her hands balled up, Kairi was ignoring her floating lightsaber on her left side while Iris was trying to make her snap out of it, but she had no other choice but to take control of her when she tried to attack Cal.

_ "Don't worry. She won't hurt you anymore as long as I'm here. I think Master Sotah was tough on her and her training." _ Iris responded through Kairi's body and mouth, as Cal slowly got back up.  _ "Here, catch her, Cal Kestis." _ She stated before she escaped from the 16 year old Jedi Padawan's body, causing Kairi to be passed out in Cal's when he catches her.

* * *

_ "Kairi, can you hear me?" _

_ 10 year old Kairi nodded as she was wearing some kind of helmet that was monitoring her brain activity and feelings. _

_ "Okay. I have a few out the Clone Troopers down there who are willing to help out with your training. You will use the Force to fight back. You can not use your lightsaber, but I'm willing to let you use your... you know what." Rin Sotah explained as Kairi was looking up from above the control room where he was. "Do you think you can do that?" He asked, as Kairi was looking around the training room knowing that the purpose of her training was to let her use her abilities, beside her lightsaber in this maze. _

_ "Yes, Master." Kairi answered as she nodded. _

_ "You may begin." Rin Sotah stated before a loud alarm went off as a force field disappeared, causing Kairi to start running inside of the maze. _

_ "Cha!" Kairi yelled, as her silver eyes glowed a bright green while her hands were out to the clone trooper who tried to land one blaster shot on her. _

_ But Kairi was quick when she quickly dodge the Clone Trooper's blaster shot before using Force push.  _

_ From above, Rin Sotah saw the Clone Trooper's body slammed against the wall part of the maze before nodding. _

_ Kairi kept running as she reminded herself to stay focused. _

_ "I will be strong. Master Sotah… I won't let you down!" Kairi thought to herself… _

* * *

"I'm faster, stronger and shiner…" Kairi muttered underneath her breath before resting her back.

She can hear water splashing as she started to open her silver eyes to see that she was staring up at a ceiling, but looking towards her left… the 16 year old Jedi Padawan saw Cal with his naked back turned towards her.

This was the first time she saw something like this.

Her eyes widened as Kairi never knew that Cal was more muscular and his back peppered with his freckles just like the ones that faded away from his cheeks.

Slowly closing back her eyes while turning away to face the other way, Kairi can hear that Cal was somehow swimming deep underwater, but when she turns back around...

His soaked face was looking at her flushing one.

She immediately back away in shock while hiding her face.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Cal purred, as Kairi was now sitting up while keeping her eyes on him. 

Her wandering eyes were now staring at his chest as she was staying quiet, but amazed at how tone Cal's body was since he had been working at the scrapyard. 

_ "What is going on here?!"  _ Kairi thought in her mind as she was hiding her face with her knees, before hearing Cal getting up out of the water. 

"Stop! Wait, are you naked?!" Kairi asked suddenly while having her eyes close.

"What makes you think I would be naked in front of you?" Cal asked before Kairi slowly removed her left hand which was covering her eye, as she saw him wearing boxers. 

Sighing in relief, Kairi removed her other hand before Cal fixed his damp hair by slicking it back behind his ears. He sat down at the edge of the water as his legs were still in the cold Bogano water.

"You were out for quite some time. I've decided to take a swim for time to pass." Cal stated, before BD-1 stood next to him. 

"What happened to me?" Kairi asked, before she was sitting on her knees with her hands on kneecaps.

"You let your emotions get ahead of you, Kairi. That's something you have to be careful of." Cal explained, before Kairi looked down at her hands.

Kairi nodded before speaking up.

"I understand, Cal. But I'm learning every single minute." She responded quietly, before looking back up at Cal once her shyness went away.

Raising an eyebrow up, Kairi raised her thumb up at Cal's back as she was suddenly getting an inspiration for her another drawing.

"Hold it…" Kairi whispered, before she pulled out her journal and pencil from her side bag.

She went towards the edge where Cal was as she slowly dip her feet into the water, trying to ignore that cold freezing feeling.

"What are you-" Cal started to ask, before Kairi used her left hand to have him face the front instead of in front of the 16 year old Jedi Padawan. 

"Stay still… please?" Kairi asked.

Cal noticed her journal and pencil until he finally realized what Kairi was about to do. 

He nodded before looking the other way once Kairi turned the pages of her book and started her rough draft.

"I'll be quick. Okay?" Kairi stated, before her pencil gently touched the white sheets.

With her body turned towards him, Kairi started sketching out Cal as she focused on his face while BD-1 was looking over her back to get a better look at the drawing. 

Knowing that it was going to take long, Kairi had a smirk on her face before she felt her forehead symbol glow as she looked down at the floating pencil which she used with the Force. 

Keeping her sliver eyes on Cal, she let her mind focus on the drawing as she kept her eyes on what she wanted. 

"You have such pretty green eyes." Kairi whispered as the pencil continued to flow through the Force.

Cal gently smiled when he heard that.

"Uh… thanks. I guess. And you do too, Kairi." Cal responded back which caused her pencil to freeze when Kairi was in shock to hear that.

Blushing slightly, she returned back to focusing on her drawing as BD-1 chirped out over how pleased he was with the results of Cal's picture.

"Is it good, BD-1?" Cal asked as he kept his head still but Kairi stopped her pencil because of the 19 year old Jedi Padawan's running mouth. "Did she put a spider on my face?" He asked jokingly.

BD-1 trilled back as Kairi can tell that the bi pedal droid was laughing while the 16 year old Jedi Padawan smiled.

"Really, Cal?" Kairi asked, before she used the Force to make her pencil draw gently while it worked on the small details to Cal's faint freckles and scars. "Okay… it's about… done!" She stated, before her forehead symbol stopped glowing as Kairi lay her pencil down in her lap.

Cal finally relaxed as he pulled his feet out of the Bogano water and was sitting down in front of Kairi who was smiling at her drawing of him.

"Are you going to let me see?" Cal asked with a small smile, before Kairi looked up at him.

Kairi held the book close to her as she was hiding her blushing face before giving it to Cal.

Kairi watched as Cal studied the self drawing of himself as she was studying his eye movements since it went from shock at first before they softened, knowing that he was amazed of how talented the 16 year old Jedi Padawan was with a pencil and paper.

"Well… what do you think?" Kairi asked quietly as her pointing fingers began to touch, knowing that her shyness was kicking in after many years.

"Kairi… I don't know what to say. But this is amazing!" Cal exclaimed at the end, knowing that Kairi took pride in her drawing skills over the years.

Kairi cupped her own face as she was smiling, knowing that she felt ecstatic, before their time together was suddenly stopped when they heard a slight static call coming from their comm links.

_"Cal? Kairi? Do you have a minute?"_ Cere called in from their comm links.

"I'm here. Cal took off his comm link for a minute. What is it?" Kairi answered before she decided to help Cal get dressed quicker, while grabbing his long sleeve blue shirt, his leather armor and glove.

_"I've been monitoring Imperial communications and I picked up something. Project Augar has been reactivated."_ Cere explained as Kairi watched him put on his socks and boots, before helping slipped on his long sleeve blue shirt over his head.

"Looks like we still have some work to do." Cal stated as Cere heard him through Kairi's comm link, before slipping his arms through the sleeves.

"We'll be there soon, Cere." Kairi responded before helping him put on his leather armor. 

Fixing the straps in front of chest, Kairi glanced up at Cal who was looking down at her, but she quickly looked away until… his gloved hand gently touched her face.

She slowly closed her eyes as she felt calm.

"Why is it that you keep looking away from me?" Cal asked, before Kairi slowly looked up at him. "Don't be afraid to do what is right…"

He slowed reach down and rested his forehead against hers, before she backed away when she used her hands to push herself back.

"And you're right!" Kairi announced, removing her hands from his leather chestplate, before having her hands balled up. "And it will start on Zeffo. We're going to teach the Empire that we are Jedi and we are not afraid of them. Because…  _ my heart is filled with determination _ ." She explained, before she saw Cal with a smile on his face, knowing that he was glad to see the same headstrong Kairi even after the head surgery.


	17. Back To Zeffo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Kairi's journey continues as they return back to Zeffo.

"Back to Zeffo, huh?" Greez asked, before turning his head around as he was taking off from Bogano when he saw a glimpse of Kairi in the kitchen. "Hey, what are you doing in my kitchen, kid?" He asked.

"Just… cooking. Is that a problem?" Kairi asked before the Bogling opened the cabinet that he was hiding from as he watched her cook. BD-1 scampered towards the Bogling as his big eyes stared back at the bi pedal droid before chittering quietly. "Shhh!" She exclaimed quietly, before the Bogling hid back inside the cabinet.

"I thought we were making something small for him. Not space waffles, Kai." Cal whispered as he stood next to Kairi, before BD-1 climbed up on the counter.

"I'm hungry too, Cal." Kairi confessed, before pouring the mixed batter in.

"You always are no matter what." Cal responded, as he pinched Kairi's cheek.

"You two be careful in my kitchen. Cal already told me how you nearly burned down the kitchen back on Bracca." Greez stated, before Kairi's eyes widened before narrowing them at the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

"Hey, even though you're not the best cook, I still loved that dinner you've made that night." Cal responded in defense as he held up his hands.

"No, he told me that it tasted horrible." Greez lied as he smirked, before seeing a seething Kairi as she was holding up a spatula while gripping it tightly.

"Why you little?!" Kairi started to say as she slowly stalked towards Cal since the ginger haired Jedi Padawan was backing away from her.

"Captain, I believe that is enough. Kairi, put down the spatula." Cere responded, before Kairi looked back at her until she slowly lowered and went back to her cooking.

"Real dirty of you, Greez. Just like your gambling issues. What was your name again? Greezy Money, old man?" Kairi asked with a smirk at the end.

"Hey, how did you know about that?" Greez asked as Kairi started giggling to herself.

"Captain, one of these days, the Haixon Brood is going to catch up to you." Cere stated as Cal sat down in front of the holotable while enjoying the smell of Kairi's space waffles.

Greez laughed. "Ha! Those slubs? I'll hear them from a parsec away." 

"I don't need your gambling issues getting in the way of our journey. We already have enough trouble at the moment." Cere explained as she rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Cal asked.

"When we land, we'll talk, Cal." Cere stated, before Kairi pulled a clean plate out from the dishwasher and place one space waffle down on it. 

Watching back at Cere and Greez who were busy minding the cockpit of the Mantis, Kairi opened the cabinet after placing down the plate on the floor. The bogling leaped out the cabinet as he immediately hugged Kairi, causing her to laugh.

"What's going on back there?" Greez asked as he turned his head slightly until he saw Kairi who stood back up before having one of her eyes on the Bogling who was sniffling the food.

"Nothing, Greez. BD was just telling me a funny joke." Kairi lied as she was wiping off the Bogling's fur off of her black shirt, before BD-1 beeped in confusion.

Kairi winked at the bi pedal droid, before BD-1 chirped back in response.

Looking down, she can see that the Bogling was occupied by eating the space waffle by holding it with his small claws.

"Want some honey?" Kairi whispered after grabbing the jar and a spoon. 

Getting a small amount onto the spoon, Kairi watched the bogling's tongue sticking out as he started licking the sticky sweet substance off, before placing a small amount on the half eaten waffles. 

"Here's some milk." Kairi whispered, as BD-1 watched her pour some blue milk into a small bowl, before the bi pedal droid started scanning the food that the Bogling was eating.

Kairi watched the bogling enjoying the food as she sat down on the floor, before taking him into her room and letting him stay on her bed, leaving him to rest up.

Returning back to everyone, she had made a plate for herself as she decided to sit down next to Cal who was sitting down in front of the holotable.

"Where is he?" Cal asked as he whispered.

"In my room. He'll be safe in there for now." Kairi answered back while using her fork and knife to cut her waffles up. "What?" She asked quietly after seeing a pouting face on Cal, until he led her fork into his mouth and got himself a bite. 

She smacks his shoulder causing Cal to crack a smile at Kairi's reaction.

"Make your own next time." Kairi stated.

"I like to steal off of your plate." Cal mumbled since his mouth was full.

Kairi's response was to laugh at how the honey and fruit slipped out his mouth and onto his poncho which made a mess.

* * *

After when the Mantis landed on Zeffo at the derelict hanger, the group could see TiE fighters flying by the ship as Greez managed to make a much safer landing after the first visit. Once they landed, Cal pulled Kairi over to the side as she was about to be the first one off the Mantis.

"I know how much you've missed out on helping Saw and the others on Kashyyyk. One of the partisans told me to give this to you." Cal stated before he pulled a pair of goggles from behind his bags.

Kairi's silver eyes widened before she took it into her hands until she put it around her head with all of her hair pulled back.

A smile appeared on her face as she was cheerful about the goggles, which led Cal into giving her a smile on his face as well.

"There's one more. Close your eyes." Cal responded once more, before seeing Kairi pouting until she decided to close them. She can hear Cal moving around the ship until she opened one of her eyes when he wasn't looking, but Kairi quickly shut that one eye closed when he turned back around to see her. "No peeking, Jabami." He warned.

"I know, I know." Kairi responded before hearing him return back in front of her until something went over her head and around her neck. "Can I look now?" She asked.

Cal backed away, before looking back at Kairi.

"Okay. Now you can." Cal answered as he had a smile on his face.

When Kairi opened her silver eyes, she saw that Cal had put a poncho on for her as her surprise. She lifted up her hands as Kairi had her eyes lit up with excitement when she had a beautiful camouflage design which reminded her of Kashyyyk's wildlife.

"Oh thank you, Cal, I love it!" Kairi responded before she immediately hugged the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

"Hey! What is that?!"

Greez's frightened voice was heard from outside of the ship as Cal and Kairi ran outside to see that a Philliak had galloped its way towards the Mantis, while breathing heavily throughout his nose.

"Nier!" Kairi responded happily.

She ran towards the Phillak and hugged it's neck.

"Wait, she knows this thing?!" Greez asked as Cere walked up towards Kairi and Nier.

"We've been riding on a few of them the last time we were here. Nier doesn't seem to attack me or her." Cal explained.

"Well, she better not sneak it inside of my ship. I've already had enough problems with her, her muddy feet and that droid. Now, I'm seeing fur on the floor." Greez grumbled, as Cere rubbed Nier's horns as the Phillak was being gentle towards the two.

BD-1 beeped and chirped as he gave out a remark.

"Hey, don't judge me, droid!" Greez retorted, before Kairi got onto Nier's back and gently kicked the side of his ribs to make him move.

"Ready, Cal?" Kairi asked, before she moved back and decided to let Cal lead the way by controlling Nier.

"You two be careful out there. The Empire could be looking for anything and especially a clue leading up to the holocron." Cere stated.

Kairi nodded before Cal gently kicked the side of Nier's ribs to make him move once more.

"I'll bring back a dead Spazz rat for Gramps!" Kairi responded as she teased Greez while they were moving further away from the Mantis.

As the two started heading inside of the hanger, Kairi was unaware that something grabbed her by the back of her poncho and lifted her up away from Nier and Cal's reach.

"Aaahhh!" Kairi cried loudly as she started choking.

"Eliminate all possible threats."

A voice that sounded robotic as it spoke in Galactic Base before throwing Kairi down to the ground when Cal turned his head to see that a security droid caught the 16 year old Jedi Padawan. He immediately jumped off as Nier decided to help fend off the two when he saw a few Stormtroopers shooting at them.

Kairi stood back up as BD-1 scampered his way towards her and threw a healing stim towards the 16 year old Jedi Padawan. 

Quickly injecting it into her shoulder, she stood back up and immediately pulled out her lightsaber.

"Where did you come from?" Kairi asked after the security droid threw Cal off to the side and went back to her when she swung her lightsaber at it.

The taller droid immediately ran as it tried to catch Kairi, but BD-1 immediately started climbing onto the droid before using his scomp link to make the KX security droid stop attacking.

Kairi helped Cal up as she kept her eyes on the security droid when it walked away from them.

"That droid thing scared me there." Kairi responded as she had Cal's hand in her right hand, before switching off her lightsaber. "The Empire is stepping up their security. First, Purge Troopers attacked me and now that thing?" She stated, as the taller droid walked off

"We have to be more careful out there, Kairi. And especially you. You have to be more aware of the situation that we are in now." Cal explained, before Nier returned back to them as he climbed back up onto his back.

"You know I will." Kairi responded, before climbing up onto Nier's back.

* * *

The two began to move forward as they tried to make it to the ice caves where the Imperial excavation or Project Augar has restarted after a while. When they finally made it to a point where Nier had to be left alone, Kairi said her goodbyes as Cal and BD-1 were looking down at a spinning gear that was already sliced through an icy slide.

"Brrr… looks like we're taking the long way down." Kairi responded as she was rubbing her arms.

"I guess so." Cal replied, before watching Kairi putting one foot onto the icy slide… until she slipped onto it, causing her to slide down. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Kairi yelled as she had her hands out in front of her while trying to keep her balance, before jumping through the gear. "Hey, this is kinda fun!" She laughed as her voice echoed through the slippery slide, before Cal began to follow her.

"After all that we've been through, you know it!" Cal responded as he followed Kairi.

"Weeee!" Kairi squealed with glee, as she kept using the Force to slow down the gears so she could jump through. "This is great!" She announced, with laughter before she landed onto the cold ground while rolling away.

"We've got an intruder here."

"There's two of them!"

"Well, there they are." Kairi responded with a smirk, after Cal made it down to the ice caves and saw the 16 year old Jedi Padawan pulling out her lightsaber.

Quickly dodging out of the way of a missile being fired at them, Cal immediately took care of that Stormtrooper when he used Force Push back at him while Kairi took care of the Electrobaton Stormtrooper.

"You wanna dance?" Kairi teased.

"I guess it's just you and me." The Stormtrooper stated as Kairi was in shock to hear that, until she used Force Push to make him fly away and onto his back.

Catching him off guard, Kairi ran and jumped up in the air as her lightsaber stabbed into his back when the Stormtrooper tried to reach for his baton.

"Thanks. But I don't date Stormtroopers." Kairi snarled, after pulling out her lightsaber and switched it off.

More and more Stormtroopers began to show as the first two had already called in about Cal and Kairi. Going through the ice caves, Kairi can hear how eerie the wind is, knowing that this place could be haunted by dead Stormtroopers or any other people by the Empire. But yet, she stayed by Cal's side as she was ready for more of the action ahead of them. Exploring the ice craves, Kairi managed to find another crate where there was another poncho to add to Cal's attire as the 16 year Jedi Padawan decided to help him put on the wayfarer design poncho as the rusty red color reminded her of his fiery red hair. Following behind him, she learned that Officer Krane was killed in a cave in when she was trying to find important artifacts during the beginning of Project Augar when the people of Zeffo were forced to work for the Empire. To make matters worse, a Jotaz immediately crashed through the ice, scaring Kairi into hiding when it's loud roaring sound and sharp claws immediately made her run off to defend for herself while Cal was left to take care of him. 

_ 'I wish for me to have strength. But that's a dark side move… Maybe I'm really a coward.'  _ Kairi thought to herself as she followed Cal through the ice caves while she was hugging her arms.

* * *

Walking into an elevator, Kairi jumped down hard onto a huge button on the floor as it started to move.

"How are you holding up?" Cal asked.

"I'm good. And you?" Kairi answered before asking the same thing.

"Yesh, I'm good. No headaches or whatever?" Cal asked once more. 

"My head is fine. Even after getting a glass shard stuck in it, I'm sure I'm okay." Kairi stated as BD-1 jumped onto her back. "Hey, BD." She greeted, before petting the top of his head once he beeped back.

When the elevator stopped moving, the two could smell the horrible scent of old oil which BD-1 thought it was him and apologized, but they knew it wasn't him. When Cal walked into the water and started swimming, he noticed how Kairi just only stood there once he turned around to face her.

"Something wrong?" Cal asked, as Kairi only used her big toe to touch the cold water, but she quickly pulled her foot back.

"Uh… you know I can't swim right?" Kairi reminded the 19 year old Jedi Padawan.

"Hmmm… Hold on for a second…" Cal responded before he started swimming ahead and found a chest which was heavy enough to float. Swimming back towards Kairi's location, he watched as Kairi slowly climbed into the water and quickly grabbed onto the chest with both hands when she thought she was slipping off into the water.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's get this over with." Kairi responded before she watched Cal swimming ahead of her and she immediately started kicking her feet while holding onto the chest.

"When we get the chance, I'm teaching you how to swim." Cal explained.

"Ha, ha, not a chance, Kestis." Kairi answered.

"Don't worry. I think me, BD and Iris can teach you. I mean after all Iris was a Jedi right?" Cal responded as before he felt his feet touching the surface and was back to walking.

"She is. But I'm still afraid after what happened 6 years ago." Kairi replied, knowing that Cal was reminded of the Ilum incident when the two were still younglings at the time. "Hey, Cal? Can I ask you something?" She stated.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" Cal responded as he turned back around to see Kairi who was now standing on the watery surface with him.

"Your Force echoes. How does it work? Is it like mine when I used invisibility and healing?" Kairi asked.

"No it's not. It's from the Force. It feels weird, but I managed to see and hear through an object's history. Like for example, if it was that holocron that you've found in the lake last night, you wouldn't know that it was Master Sotah's holocron." Cal explained before looking down at his hands. "I had this for a long time. Probably since I was born. Just like you had your healing and invisibility ever since you were the new Youngling at the Jedi Temple. But somehow, with your strange powers, I don't think it's the Force." He stated.

"I wonder about that too, Cal. That's why I need to know. About who I really am. Like where was the planet I come from? Who was there when I was born? And why did my memories start off in Cere's arms." Kairi responded before she followed Cal. 

"Why did it start off with you seeing Cere?" Cal asked.

"I don't know. She mentioned that she saved me when I was a Youngling… but I do know that she's not my mother. And she took me to Coruscant where I met the Jedi Council. Wearing nothing but sandy, but lavender colored robes and being barefoot." Kairi stated, before the two made it out of the cave before seeing a crashed ventor from a distance. "Oh my… wait, was this maybe one of the Master and Padawan's home ship?" She asked as she had her hand on her mouth, knowing that she was in shock.

"It seems like it." Cal responded, before Kairi closed her eyes with her arms back to the side.

"That day… it was so horrible. I don't want to experience that again." Kairi whispered, as she was reminded of the Purge, hearing all of the clone troopers shooting at them, and even hearing a loud explosion.

With her silver eyes closed, she felt Cal gently holding her hands before she looked down at it. the clasped hands made Kairi feel much warmer and safer inside, knowing Kairi never talks much about the Purge, thinking that she was stronger than to remember that night. 

When she looked up at Cal's gentle green eyes, it felt like it was just the two of them where Cal will always protect her… but there was something more in her heart that she wanted to show and tell the ginger haired Jedi Padawan.

"Hey… we're in this together. I won't let anything happen to you. Or to us. I made a promise to Master Sotah. And I'm willing to keep it." Cal stated quietly.

But the 16 year old Jedi Padawan knew that now wasn't the best time.

So Kairi nodded it off, before the two walked hand in hand toward the crash site, until the two fell into the water after they slided down.

But Kairi started to kick and slap the water as she was trying to stay up, and for Cal to find something for her to get her hold onto it.

Then Cal swam towards her and held her close by having his hands around her waist, making her stop her drowning movement before her arms went straight to wrapping them around his shoulders.

"You're okay. You're safe. Just be still for a minute." Cal responded reassuringly, before Kairi started nodding quickly as she believed that she was going to drown again. "Look at me, Kairi. I am going to teach you in order for you to swim by yourself. Okay? No more drowning, Kairi." He stated calmly as he held Kairi close.

"Okay." Kairi managed to say.

Cal was giving out instructions for her to swim as she was slowly kicking her feet in the water to help her stay up and using her hands. Kairi was slowly getting the hang of it while she was slowly letting go of Cal's grip when he let go of her waist. He taught her how to swim as she followed him towards one of the crashed ventor's parts.

"Not bad on your first try." Cal stated, before he got up from the water and held out his hand until Kairi placed her right hand into his left one.

"I must not live in fear anymore. But I am adjusting to it, thanks to you, Cal Kestis." Kairi responded with a smile, before looking back at the parts of the ventor. "You think we should call Greez about this?" She asked while looking around the crash site.

"You sure?" Cal asked.

"Wait. Greez might be busy. I saw him betting earlier on a gambling game. Or was it Twi'leks dancing?" Kairi explained, before seeing a huge creature heading towards them. With a loud roaring sound in the air and Kairi's widened silver eyes in shock, it caused Cal to pull out his lightsaber and switch it on as he let Kairi stay behind him.

"Climb up!" Cal informed the 16 year old Jedi Padawan as he noticed parts of a metal fence which came from inside of a ship.

Kairi listened as she decided to climb up, leaving Cal alone to fight another Jotaz. As the giant creature tried to claw and scratch Cal away from him, the ginger haired Jedi Padawan rolled out of the way before seeing Kairi pulling out her bow and arrows from above.

"Cal! Get back!" Kairi announced as she pulled out one of the fire ammo bags, while sticking it to the side of the arrow before aiming it at the running Jotaz.

Keeping her aim still, Cal immediately rolled away and fell into the water as Kairi shot her fire arrow and it stabbed into the Jotaz's back, hitting it's spine. The giant creature with claws started screeching out in pain as it was lit on fire while being burned to death. When it landed on its stomach, Cal climbed out the water as Kairi put away her bow and arrows.

"Nice shot." Cal complimented before climbing up the metal fence to where Kairi was waiting with her right hand out for him to take.

When Kairi pulled Cal up, he stood in front of her before BD-1 jumped onto Kairi's shoulder and decided to be on her back.

"That's teamwork. High five!" Kairi responded as she held up her left hand.

Cal responded back with her high five, before they started moving ahead until they heard a droid speaking in its own language which sounded like it was from the Empire until they saw a floating probe droid.

"Get back, Kai." Cal responded as he had his arm out for her to stop moving. 

When the probe droid saw the two, he immediately shot a blaster shot at Cal which he deflected back with his lightsaber. When the second one happened, Cal noticed how the probe droid was heading towards them while trying to self destruct. The ginger haired Jedi used the Force to push the droid away before it exploded away from them.

"I always hated them. Back on Bracca, I always see them around every corner even when we were at home." Kairi stated, before following Cal as BD-1 started scanning at the probe droid.

BD-1 responded as he understood how she felt.

"You're the best, BD." Kairi responded.

* * *

When the two were back to walking, Kairi and Cal can see another elevator that could lead to another place that the Empire was searching at the moment. But for now, they were stuck as a support wire was on the left side from where they couldn't reach. Kairi suggested using her bow and arrows to make a rope where they can climb their way to the other side but Cal had another way.

"Got a jolt, BD?" Cal asked as he and Kairi watched him headed towards a control panel and he started overcharging it to make the support wire move.

When it stopped in front of them after Cal told him to end it, Kairi climbed onto his back before the 19 year old Jedi Padawan grabbed BD-1 as they started zip lining their way to the other side.

Making their way into the elevator, Kairi jumped down onto the button after when Cal and BD-1 were inside. 

As it started moving, Kairi was the first to talk.

"So when did BD get that upgrade?" Kairi asked.

"Back on Kashyyyk. It was part of an idea I had. Along with him taking over other droids." Cal explained as he looked at the 16 year old Jedi Padawan.

"I see. I think we're getting closer, Cal. I can feel it." Kairi responded as she had her arms crossed.

"Are you sure? At first, I thought it was your space waffles." Cal replied, causing Kairi to look back at him with her shocked face.

"Hey, my cooking is good too, you know! I've been tightening up on them since I've worked as a cantina maiden. Of course, Kie helped me from time to time. " Kairi explained as she felt offended.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Kairi. Somehow, I got this funny feeling that the deeper we get, we might get into more trouble with the Empire." Cal responded, as Kairi calmed down.

"Okay. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open when we get there… And here we are." Kairi stated before the elevator opened once it stopped.

The Imperial Dig Site was covered by the Empire itself as Kairi can see Stormtroopers ahead of them down below, knowing that this is probably where they were trying to find the next tomb for the Jedi holocron. 

The two knew that they had to get there quickly before any complications arose.

"Looks like we're climbing down." Cal stated as he pulled Kairi away from the ledge, knowing that she almost got sick from seeing how far they were.

"Uhhhhh… that's too much." Kairi responded as she started breathing in and out, while Cal rubbed her back once she had finally calmed down.

BD-1 trilled as he scampered his way to the control panel and started overcharging it for the support rope to switch from raising it up or down.

"How are we gonna get up there now?" Kairi asked as she pointed to the small room above them.

"We'll just have to keep looking for another way." Cal answered as he noticed it, before Kairi climbed onto his back and held on until they ziplined their way towards the room down below. Seeing another zipline, Kairi stayed on Cal's back before the 19 year old Jedi Padawan had BD-1 help them out again.

"Whoo. You're getting heavy, Kairi." Cal responded as Kairi climbed off.

"Would you like for me to carry you next?" Kairi asked teasingly.

"Not a chance. You'll end up breaking your back and legs before I even climb onto yours." Cal answered as Kairi rubbed his back.

"What's in here?" Kairi asked before walking into a room in front of them until she saw a Heavy Assault Trooper and two security droids. "Oh no!" She responded as they heard her voice.

"Movement. Hold for confirmation." The Stormtrooper informed, before Kairi stayed where she was while she and Cal pulled out their lightsabers, switching them on in the process.

Running towards the Heavy Assault Trooper while he was firing lasers, Kairi was swinging her lightsaber as she was dodging her way towards him until the Stormtrooper was trying to reload before she used the Force to push him back.

She was about to swing her lightsaber towards the Stormtrooper, thinking he wasn't dead, she felt like she was being grabbed from behind and was thrown off to the side. 

As she tried to get up, Cal was thrown and landed on Kairi's back.

"Again?!" Kairi asked as she was annoyed.

"Yeah, again." Cal answered before he got up and helped her up quickly until the two security droids started running to try and catch them. "Kairi, I have an idea. Remember when I told you to never scream?" He asked.

"Why does this have to do with my loud screams?" Kairi asked back while rubbing her back with her left hand.

"Can you do that again?" Cal asked before rolling away when the one the security droids tried to grab him again.

"I don't think I can't do that again. It really hurt my throat the last time!" Kairi answered, before BD-1 managed to rewire one of the security droids which caused them to fight back against the other.

The two watched the security droids fighting off each other as Cal and Kairi were catching their breath, until the droids were defeated.

"Well… that was fun." Kairi responded sarcastically.

"Agreed." Cal replied.

Kairi pulled out her water bottle as she decided to get a drink to soothe her mouth and throat, before giving her half empty bottle to Cal.

"Thanks." Cal responded, before he started drinking it.

He handed it back to Kairi before she hooked it back to her belt bag.

Walking over towards the workbench, Kairi sat down on the left side as BD-1 jumped off Cal's back before the 19 year old Jedi Padawan stood in front of the bi pedal droid.

"Any ideas on how to use the zipline quicker?" Cal asked as he was looking through spare parts, before Kairi managed to find a few more, hoping it could help him and BD-1.

"Can BD-1 handle more weight if we ride up the zipline?" Kairi asked, before Cal looked at the parts that the 16 year old Jedi Padawan placed down on her side and next to BD-1.

Cal had sparked an idea before he pulled out his smothering iron and started adding a new part to BD-1.

"There. Maybe this can help us." Cal responded before BD-1 hopped around on the workbench happily, until he was connected onto Cal's back.

The two headed back towards the first zipline as they were able to ride it up instead of going downwards. As they continued bumping into more Stormtroopers and defeating them as well, Kairi somehow had a bad feeling as they were getting closer and closer to the tomb. 

But when they found a smaller elevator, it slowly took down until Kairi felt a familiar presence in the Force when the elevator reached the bottom of it and slowly opened the doors. 

"Cal Kestis."

"And Kairi Jabami."

"No…" Kairi whispered as she stood behind Cal when the two Jedi Padawans both saw Second Sister and First Brother.

The last time that they saw them was back on Bracca, chasing after them, but the two thought that the First Brother died in his TiE fighter when it was shot down by Cere and Greez and for the Second Sister when she was hanging onto the Mantis' cockpit window until Kairi's strange powers pushed her off.

"It is so nice for you two to see us again." First Brother responded.

"Yes. Since our last meeting was cut short." Second Sister finished. "Oh don't worry. We both know who you are. About your past. But most of all… About Cordova." She stated.

"Tell us. Where did he hide the holocron?" First Brother asked as the Second Sister was looking away, but the male Inquisitor watched the two Jedi Padawans slowly take out their lightsabers and switched them on.

"We won't tell you anything!" Kairi retorted, as she narrowed her eyes at the two Inquisitors.

"My my, how spunky you are as Jedi scum." First Brother responded. "What do you think of her and her little Jedi protector, Second Sister?" He asked.

"It is… Outstanding." Second Sister answered, before she and First Brother pulled out their lightsabers.

* * *

**_This took me longer than expected. I had this chapter done already a week back but it was supposed to be posted up Monday, but with me working more at the daycare and at home, it was hard!_ **

**_What do you expect to happen in the next chapter? Just who is this mysterious First Brother and Second Sister who came out of nowhere and back into Cal and Kairi's life again?_ **

**_Fun Fact!: Kairi is a sweets lover! She likes anything sweet to eat, but she dislikes spicy foods._ **

**_Fun Fact Time #2!: Cal and Kairi have that brother and sister type relationship growing up together since the Purge. But are they hiding secrets or lies from each other?_ **


End file.
